Week in Comms: Default to AI, Nexstar's Kimmel Defense, and the Cost of Workslop

The Week in Comms: AI mandates, Kimmel memo, and the cost of "workslop"

1) Opendoor CEO tells employees to "default to AI"

Opendoor's new chief, Kaz Nejatian, told employees the RTO debate is closed and set a new bar: "Default to AI." He made AI usage a core expectation, even tying it to performance reviews. If you start in Google Docs or Sheets instead of an AI tool, you're missing the standard he set. He even called out building prototypes in Cursor or Claude Code.

Two comms notes. First, declaring "no change management" on RTO ends the conversation but also risks trust with a new leader. Second, pushing an AI-first culture needs more than a mandate. It needs education, guardrails, and ongoing reinforcement to stick.

What to do now

• Publish a short AI Use Playbook: approved tools, use cases by team, review steps, and data/privacy rules.
• Set a quality bar: require human review for anything external; define what "good" looks like with examples.
• Run fast pilots: one workflow per team, 30-day sprint, measure time saved and quality outcomes.
• Equip managers: FAQs, change scripts, and office hours to field concerns and collect feedback.
• Track adoption with sense: measure outcomes, not tool clicks. Reward better work, not just more prompts.
• Close the loop: share wins and misses weekly so teams learn what "default to AI" actually means in practice.

2) Nexstar explains 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' decisions in staff memo

After restoring Jimmy Kimmel to ABC affiliates, Nexstar leaders Perry Sook and Michael Biard told employees they wanted "cooler heads" to prevail and acknowledged the disruption, including hostile reactions some staff faced. They tied their decision to serving the public interest and reminded teams that show hosts do not have unlimited speech on-air. Editorial judgment is part of the job.

For comms leaders, the lesson is clear: when programming choices create external pressure, employees need clarity, safety, and a direct line to purpose.

What to do now

• Lead with empathy: acknowledge strain on frontline teams and call out safety protocols clearly.
• Reaffirm the "why": connect decisions to mission, standards, and editorial responsibility.
• Issue a rapid-response kit: talking points, Q&A, escalation paths, and social media guidance.
• Stand up a feedback route: anonymous form plus manager office hours to surface on-the-ground realities.
• Coordinate legal and HR: align on thresholds for intervention when threats or harassment occur.
• Measure pressure: track inbound sentiment to affiliates and adjust support fast.

3) Report: AI-generated "workslop" is killing efficiency

A new report from BetterUp and Stanford's Social Media Lab found that 40% of U.S. desk workers received sloppy AI-assisted work in the last month. When low-grade AI output becomes normal, trust drops, perceptions of reliability tank, and leaders get a false sense of "AI adoption."

This is a comms problem as much as a tech one. AI without standards produces noise, rework, and resentment.

How to keep quality high

• Write an AI Acceptable Use policy: where AI is encouraged, where it's banned, and required human review points.
• Create prompt and review checklists: input quality, source validation, fact-checking, tone/style checks, and disclosure rules.
• Label AI-assisted drafts internally so reviewers know what to scrutinize.
• Train for outcomes, not tools: teach teams how to scope tasks, structure prompts, and evaluate output against a clear standard.
• Set "do not automate" lists: legal claims, sensitive topics, crisis responses, and executive voice without approval.
• Run spot audits monthly and share findings to raise the floor across teams.

See the Stanford Social Media Lab for research context here: sml.stanford.edu.

If you need a practical starting point for team upskilling, explore AI courses by job.

4) A few wins to end the week

• Progress continues on the tunnel linking Italy and Austria beneath the Alps.
• NASA is aiming to send astronauts around the moon in 2026. Learn more about the program: NASA Artemis.
• An ash tree in Scotland earned the UK's "Tree of the Year" honor.

For comms teams, the through-line is simple: lead change with clarity, set standards before scale, and keep people at the center of every memo and mandate.