
We’ve all seen the claims: AI makes our work easier and is going to boost productivity to unheard of levels. For example, according to PwC, AI could boost global output by 15% over the next decade.
But maybe things are not quite as rosy as the AI cheerleaders would have us believe. Some new research from Harvard Business Review (HBR)has suggested that AI benefits have been somewhat overhyped.
The research found that employees using AI tools worked faster and for longer hours, juggling more tasks. “These changes can be unsustainable, leading to workload creep, cognitive fatigue, burnout, and weakened decision-making. The productivity surge enjoyed at the beginning can give way to lower quality work, turnover, and other problems,” wrote the researchers, Aruna Ranganathan and Xingqi Maggie Ye.
