AI-powered professional learning and the battle vs. ‘workslop’: Inside Deloitte’s Scout
By Tony Case • November 27, 2025 •
Ivy Liu
As AI transforms workplace learning, a paradox has emerged: 40% of U.S. employees report receiving AI-generated “workslop,” content that looks polished but lacks substance.
It’s something that’s costing organizations nearly $9 million annually for every 10,000 employees, according to research from coaching platform BetterUp and the Stanford Social Media Lab. Each incident of workslop consumes nearly two hours of cleanup time, with nearly half those on the receiving end seeing colleagues who send such subpar work as less creative and less trustworthy.
Against that backdrop, Deloitte last month launched Scout as part of its Project 120, the company’s $1.4 billion investment in professional development. The AI-powered learning assistant aims to personalize learning while avoiding the pitfalls that plague many AI deployments.
In a conversation with WorkLife, Anthony Stephan, chief learning officer at Deloitte U.S., spoke about how the tool addresses the challenges of modern professional development. The interview was edited for length and clarity.
What problem does Scout solve that your existing learning systems could not?
Deloitte professionals have long had access to rich learning resources, but discoverability was the biggest challenge. Finding the right content at the right moment was time-consuming. In a 10,000-person workforce, if each professional spends just 30 minutes weekly searching for learning content, that’s 5,000 hours of lost productivity each week. Scout delivers real-time, curated learning tailored to each professional’s role, past activity and career goals, making learning continuous and adaptive rather than a one-time event.
How does Scout specifically address the growing problem of workslop?
This was critical in our design. Workslop occurs when AI is used indiscriminately without clear guidance. We built several safeguards. Scout augments human judgment rather than replacing it. The content is curated by learning professionals who understand quality; we’re not generating arbitrary content but connecting professionals with existing, vetted resources and creating personalized pathways. We maintain continuous feedback loops and hold the same high standards whether work involves AI assistance or not. The research shows that teams focused on task quality experience less workslop, and that’s the culture we’re fostering.
What makes Scout different from traditional learning systems?
Scout goes beyond course recommendations. It delivers tailored experiences based on role, learning history, preferences and development goals. It surfaces actionable answers in seconds with timely nudges, supports critical career moments like stepping into new roles or preparing for complex projects, and provides predictive insights to anticipate future skill needs. This addresses research showing that employees with high agency and optimism — “Pilots” — are 3.6 times more productive with AI than those who passively rely on it. Scout cultivates that pilot mindset.
How are you measuring success?
Initially, we’re tracking awareness, adoption and repeat engagement through surveys, click-throughs and completion rates. Beyond engagement, we’re focused on how Scout accelerates upskilling and reskilling, supports internal mobility and improves learner performance. Looking ahead, we’ll expand measurement to capture business outcomes: project performance, client satisfaction and career advancement. The question isn’t just whether people use Scout but whether it makes them more effective professionals.
What’s next for Scout?
Future phases will expand beyond content delivery to foster social learning and peer-to-peer collaboration. We’re introducing features that help professionals identify and connect with colleagues based on shared skills, learning needs or project demands. Imagine quickly finding someone with specific expertise for a client project or discovering colleagues working on similar skill development. We also envision Scout becoming more predictive, anticipating future skill requirements based on market trends and career trajectories, helping professionals stay ahead rather than playing catch-up.
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