Edith Hejberg
The findings were clear: instead of reducing workloads, AI often made workdays busier.
For years, tech leaders have promised that artificial intelligence would transform employees into highly productive “superhumans.”
The vision was simple: AI would automate routine tasks, shorten workdays, and free people to focus on creativity and innovation.
Some executives even predicted a future where traditional work might become optional.
But the early reality of workplace AI looks very different.
A new report challenges the productivity hype
A recent report from productivity analytics company ActivTrak examined how AI affects daily work habits.
Researchers analyzed the behavior of 10,584 users for 180 days before and after they began using AI tools.
The findings were clear: instead of reducing workloads, AI often made workdays busier.
In many cases, the time employees spent on routine tasks increased significantly.
AI adoption led to longer task times
After introducing AI into their workflows, employees spent far more time across their job responsibilities.
The increase ranged from 27% to as high as 346%, depending on the activity.
Rather than eliminating busywork, the technology appeared to expand it.
The result was longer and more fragmented workdays.
Email workloads surged dramatically
One of the biggest changes showed up in communication tasks.
Time spent on email jumped by 104% after workers began using AI tools.
Instead of reducing inbox pressure, AI appears to generate even more messages, drafts, and responses.
For many employees, the digital conversation simply became louder.
Messaging and collaboration also grew
The surge wasn’t limited to email.
Time spent chatting and messaging with colleagues increased by 145%.
Use of business management tools rose by 94% as well.
Together, these tools created more coordination work rather than removing it.
No activity category actually saved time
Perhaps the most surprising finding in the report was what didn’t happen.
Across all tracked categories, AI failed to reduce time spent on tasks.
Researchers summarized the outcome bluntly: “The data is unambiguous: AI does not reduce workloads.”
Instead, professionals ended up juggling more tasks simultaneously.
Multitasking is replacing deep focus
As workloads expand, workers are spending more time switching between tasks.
The report found employees are now multitasking at higher rates throughout the day.
That constant context-switching reduces the time available for deeper thinking.
Complex problem-solving often takes a back seat to managing tools and messages.
Focused work sessions are shrinking
One key indicator of productivity, uninterrupted focus, has been declining.
The average length of a focused work session fell by 9%.
Total focused work hours dropped by another 2%.
These declines suggest workers are losing the “in the zone” moments needed for complex tasks.
A longer trend away from deep work
The decline in concentration didn’t start with AI, but the trend continues.
Over the past three years, deep-focus time has steadily eroded.
By 2025, only about 60% of work time was spent in focused states.
More digital tools appear to be pushing that number even lower.
Tech leaders still predict an AI golden age
Despite the mixed evidence so far, many tech executives remain optimistic.
Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, predicts a coming “golden era” powered by AI.
He has suggested the technology could make people “superhuman” in their jobs.
In his vision, AI will unlock unprecedented prosperity and innovation.
Some believe work may become optional
Elon Musk has taken the prediction even further.
“My prediction is that work will be optional. It’ll be like playing sports or a video game or something like that,” Musk said at the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum in Washington this year.
He argues that AI could eventually produce such abundance that jobs become more like hobbies.
In that scenario, people would work mainly because they enjoy it.
Predictions of shorter workweeks
Other executives imagine a future with fewer workdays.
Zoom CEO Eric Yuan believes AI could significantly lighten employees’ workloads.
“I feel like if AI can make all of our lives better, why do we need to work for five days a week?” Yuan told The New York Times last year.
He predicts companies may eventually adopt three- or four-day workweeks.
The rise of burnout and “AI brain fry”
While some employees do gain productivity from AI tools, the gains may come with costs.
A University of California at Berkeley study found that efficiency improvements often lead workers to take on more tasks.
Instead of using breaks to recharge, many spend the time prompting AI systems.
Boston Consulting Group researchers have even identified a new problem: “AI brain fry,” where constant oversight of AI tools overwhelms workers and increases mental fatigue.
