AI Increases Workload: Study on 160,000 Employees

Artificial intelligence, often presented as a means to reduce our workload, seems to actually increase it, according to a study conducted by ActivTrak. This survey, which analyzed the habits of 160,000 employees, shows that AI has not decreased working hours but has, on the contrary, increased them across all measured categories. The increases range from 27% to 346%, contradicting the optimistic predictions of figures like Elon Musk and Sam Altman.

Increased Workload

More specifically, the time spent on emails surged by 104%, while the time spent on chats and messaging rose by 145%. The use of management tools also saw a 94% increase. This additional workload now exceeds traditional office hours. The data indicates an increase in working hours on weekends, with a rise of 46% on Saturdays and 58% on Sundays.

Impact on Concentration

AI not only increases the workload but also affects employees' concentration. By 2025, only 60% of working time will be devoted to deep tasks, down from 63% in 2023. The average time spent on a task before being distracted has decreased from 14 minutes to just 13 minutes.

AI users are particularly affected, losing an average of 23 minutes of deep concentration per day, unlike their non-user colleagues who experience almost no variation. AI accelerates work, but at the cost of increasingly fragmented attention.

Rapid but Ineffective Adoption

The adoption of AI in companies has been rapid: 80% of employees now use at least one AI tool, compared to 53% two years ago. The time spent on these tools has increased eightfold. However, this massive adoption does not equate to efficiency. ActivTrak identifies an "optimal zone" for AI usage, between 7% and 10% of working time, where productivity reaches 95%. Yet, only 3% of users achieve this zone.

Despite these challenges, the study notes improvements in well-being, with a 22% reduction in the risk of burnout, now affecting only 5% of employees. Furthermore, three-quarters of employees maintain balanced work rhythms. AI was supposed to lighten our workload, but it seems to intensify it instead, with repercussions on concentration and work-life balance.