Nearly Half of U.S. Workers Have Had to Fix a Coworker's AI-Generated Work, New Study Finds

Founder Reports survey of 2,078 workers reveals AI's hidden productivity cost as rework burden falls hardest on managers and senior leaders

HARRISBURG, PA, UNITED STATES, May 6, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A new study from Founder Reports shows that 45% of U.S. workers have had to fix or redo a coworker's work that they believe relied too heavily on AI. Among workers who use AI tools daily, that figure jumps to 59%.

The findings come from a survey of 2,078 employed adults in the United States, conducted in April 2026. With 89% of workers reporting they've used AI for work and 60% using it daily or weekly, the data suggests that increased AI adoption is creating a growing but largely untracked cost in the form of rework and quality control.

7% of respondents said fixing a coworker’s AI-generated work happens on a regular basis, 22% said it has happened a few times, and 16% said once or twice. The rate climbs with AI usage frequency. Among weekly AI users, 49% have experienced it. Among those who rarely use AI, the rate drops to 28%, and among non-users it falls to 16%.

The takeaway is straightforward: workplaces where AI is used more frequently are also producing more work that needs to be corrected.
The rework problem isn't evenly distributed. 57% of managers and above have had to fix AI-generated work from a coworker, compared to 38% of individual contributors.

The rates by seniority are eye-opening: 53% of managers, 65% of senior managers, 61% of directors, 63% of VPs, and 63% of C-suite executives report having to clean up AI-reliant output. AI tools are enabling faster work at the individual contributor level, but the quality control burden is landing on the people who review and approve that work.

Employer AI policy has a measurable impact. At companies where AI use is required, 73% of workers have had to fix a coworker's AI output, and 17% say it happens regularly. That's nearly double the 30% rework rate at companies with no AI policy.

Meanwhile, 44% of workers say their employer either has no clear AI policy or they aren't sure one exists. That figure is even higher at smaller organizations, where 59% of workers at companies with fewer than 10 employees report no policy or uncertainty, compared to 34% at companies with 1,000 or more employees.

The rework findings exist alongside a wider trust gap. 43% of workers say they trust a coworker's output less when they know AI was involved, more than double the 20% who trust it more. And 77% say they review AI-assisted work more carefully, with 36% reviewing it "much more carefully."

One of the more surprising findings is generational. Workers under 40 are actually more skeptical of AI-assisted work than their older colleagues. 48% of workers under 40 report reduced trust, compared to 34% of workers aged 50 and over. Among 18- to 29-year-olds specifically, 52% trust AI-assisted work less.
The full report, including additional data on trust, scrutiny, and demographic breakdowns, is available at founderreports.com.

About This Research

This report is based on a survey of 2,078 employed adults in the United States, conducted in April 2026 via the Prolific research platform. The sample includes full-time (80%) and part-time (20%) workers from 22 departments, with representation across company sizes, seniority levels, education levels, and age groups. All respondents were screened for U.S. residency and current employment status.

Marc Shorb
Founder Reports
info@founderreports.com
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