A recent Inc. report highlights findings from an eight-month study showing that, contrary to expectations, generative artificial intelligence isn’t reducing workloads for employees — it’s intensifying them. While early promises suggested AI would take over routine tasks like drafting documents, summarizing reports, and debugging code so workers could focus on higher-value activities, researchers found that the opposite trend is emerging in practice. Instead of freeing up time, AI tools are pushing people to work faster, across more tasks, and often for longer periods.
The study, conducted at a U.S. technology company with around 200 employees, observed that AI adoption grew organically as workers began using generative tools. Though nobody was required to use AI, employees who did found themselves completing more work and taking on a broader range of responsibilities — from product managers writing code to designers handling technical builds — filling up what used to be breaks or downtime with additional tasks.
This “workload creep” means that the time saved by using AI doesn’t translate into shorter workdays; instead, it encourages a cycle of doing more within the same or greater amount of time. Workers reported that even natural breaks were consumed by prompting AI, ultimately blurring boundaries between work and non-work and increasing the risk of burnout and cognitive fatigue over time.
Researchers and analysts warn that while AI may seem to boost productivity, without intentional integration and boundaries, it can lead to hidden costs. Organizations may need to develop clear norms for when and how AI is used, protect focus time, and build deliberate pauses into workflows to ensure that the technology supports sustainable work practices rather than driving employees into longer, more fragmented workdays.
