A recent Inc. report highlights surprising findings from an eight-month workplace study revealing that, rather than reducing workloads as promised, generative artificial intelligence may actually be increasing work intensity and hours for employees. The research observed a U.S. tech company where workers were free to adopt AI tools on their own, and found that the technology encouraged them to take on more tasks, move faster, and work longer, often without realizing the cumulative impact.
The promise of AI has long centered on the idea that automation and smart assistance would relieve workers of repetitive or routine duties — such as drafting documents, summarising reports, or debugging code — so they could focus on higher-value, creative work. However, researchers found that as employees embraced AI, their workloads quietly expanded. Tasks that might have been outsourced, delegated, or paused were instead absorbed into individual roles, blurring job boundaries and increasing cognitive load.
One of the most striking patterns was that AI made “doing more” feel possible, rewarding, and effortless, which led to informal pressure to increase output even without managerial mandates. Workers began prompting AI tools during breaks or between meetings, and used the time saved on automation to take on additional responsibilities rather than reduce their overall hours. As a result, the workday stretched longer and became more fragmented, raising concerns about burnout and diminished work–life boundaries.
The researchers warn that while AI can initially boost productivity metrics on paper, the deeper challenge lies in sustainable integration. Without clear guidelines about when and how to use AI tools, organisations may inadvertently encourage workload creep — where the technology’s benefits are swallowed up by expanded expectations. To harness AI beneficially, leaders may need to develop structured norms around AI use and protect focused, human-centred work time rather than simply chasing speed and quantity of output.
