Use AI Right in 2026 — Stop the Slop

Welcome to week two of The Healthcare Leader — one thought on leadership, operations, and career.

2026 feels like the year AI becomes normal in healthcare. Not impressive. Not novel. Just expected – with flukes.

The leaders who stand out won’t be the ones using AI the most — they’ll be the ones who understand where it helps, and where it hurts.

“Slop” was Merriam-Webster Dictionary’s word of the year in 2025. Make sure it’s not a word associated with your work.

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Early in my career, I was a ghostwriter for executives and coaches.

They brought the ideas.
I shaped the words.

When our communication styles aligned, their voice came through clearly and consistently. When it didn’t, it was obvious someone else was writing — and credibility took a hit.

AI has given everyone access to a generic ghost writer and editor. One that does what it’s told better than any human – but defaults to sounding like every other AI-edited “thought leader” out there.

I use AI – and I think you should too.
Learn how it works. Leverage it to improve your career.

But before you AI-write your LinkedIn posts, cover letters, and team emails, keep this in mind:

Thought leadership is you sharing your stories in your voice.

Used well, AI helps you clarify your thinking and enhance your voice. Used poorly, even your original ideas are perceived as AI slop.

Ironically, the flood of AI makes it easier for real voices to stand out. Share what you’ve learned. Be honest about the struggle. Grow in public.

That’s still the work needed to be a thought leader.

I took over the lab department two weeks before COVID hit.

I didn’t know what a reagent was.
I confused techs and phlebotomists.
I couldn’t remember the word “nasopharyngeal”, so I said “nose swabs.”

Curiosity, humility, and good mentors covered a lot of ignorance. A generous team helped too.

Still, if you’re like me, you’d rather walk into a new department prepared to add value — not learning basic terminology at the moment you need to make crucial decisions.

Your role isn’t to know the work better than your team.
It’s to understand it well enough to lead responsibly.

This is where AI can help. The questions I had to ask in the moment in 2020 can now be asked privately, in advance. ChatGPT gives you just enough understanding to have a meaningful conversation without sounding entirely ignorant.

ChatGPT won’t replace your leadership.
But if used well, it can help you gain clarity before it operationally matters.

I’ve pulled together a practical set of prompts leaders can use to get up to speed quickly when taking on a new department or area. AI makes mistakes, but as a pre-meeting advisor, it’s been a useful edge for me.

Download here…

When it comes to your career, AI can be a helpful — and sometimes uncomfortable — critic.

Use it to pressure-test how your resume aligns with your next role.
Use it to preview how your writing or ideas might land with a specific audience.
And yes — use it as part of your ACHE Board of Governors exam prep.

AI won’t pass the exam for you. But it will expose what you don’t actually understand.

That’s the real value.

I’ve added a new module to my FACHE Exam Prep course focused on using ChatGPT to audit your thinking, surface weak spots, and practice reasoning — not memorization — alongside the two full-length practice exams (and I’m focusing on making these questions more challenging).

Through January, the module and both exams are free with code ny2026 — check it out here.

Next week, I’ll share insights from healthcare operators with unique backgrounds — insights you won’t want to miss.

Until next time, stay inspired!
Rob Erich, MBA, FACHE
LinkedIn: @RobErich