A new study highlighted by Axios reports that tools like ChatGPT and Claude AI are boosting worker productivity in the short term — people are completing tasks faster and helping companies get more done. However, the research published in Harvard Business Review shows an unexpected flip side: AI isn’t actually reducing workloads — it’s intensifying them. Instead of cutting the hours people spend working, access to AI has led employees to take on more tasks, work faster, and extend their workdays, sometimes voluntarily. This has created what some researchers call a productivity paradox — workers deliver more, but don’t see a shorter or more manageable work life.
In the eight-month study of a tech company with about 200 employees, researchers found that once generative AI tools became available, workers began engaging with them not just for routine automation but to explore new responsibilities beyond their original roles. This included switching between different tasks more frequently and filling gaps in workflows that previously would have required collaboration or delegation. That behavior expanded the scope of work and led to longer hours being spent on work overall, rather than less.
Experts say the reason AI isn’t lowering workloads is that it lowers barriers to productivity while simultaneously raising expectations. Employers and teams begin to assume that tasks can be completed faster and with higher volume, which pushes people to take on additional duties and speed up their pace. Without intentional boundaries or structured “AI practices” — rules about when and how AI should be used — these productivity gains can simply translate into higher pressure, expanded responsibilities, and risk of burnout instead of better work–life balance.
While hiring and firing trends haven’t yet shifted dramatically in response to AI, its growing influence on how work is done means the future of jobs and labor markets will continue to evolve. Some see potential for AI to eventually boost economic output and even create new job opportunities, while others warn that the current productivity boost may hide costs such as cognitive strain and increased workload expectations. Businesses and policymakers are watching these trends closely as AI becomes more integrated into everyday work.
