Artificial intelligence may just be the productivity tool of many an employer’s dreams, but AI also increases workloads and comes with the risk of burnout. The technology may be revolutionizing the workplace, but without safeguards in place, your workers may just succumb to the pressures sooner than expected.
What looks like a win for some can mean a loss for many, and with AI technology, it is important to keep an eye on its potential threats to a business. Research from the Harvard Business Review recently revealed what business leaders have been waiting to hear: AI is, in fact, the future of work and the key to unlocking productivity. Unfortunately, HBR’s AI at work study also found that with the heightened demands on employees, pressure and burnout lurk right around the corner.
Artificial intelligence may be rightfully revolutionizing the workplace, but AI also increases workloads and the risk of employee burnout. (Image: Pexels)
The Productivity Gains May Be Impressive, but AI Also Increases Workloads and the Risk of Burnout
Artificial intelligence has made many promises to its early adopters: efficiency, task simplification, automation, advanced analytics, reduced labor demands, shortened timelines, etc., etc. In many cases, the technology has delivered on these promises despite some hesitation from employees and employers, but good things are rarely available for free. Relying on data from an ongoing eight-month case study at a U.S.-based technology company with about 200 employees, Harvard Business Review conducted a study on AI and its role in redefining the future of work.
The HBR AI and work study found that the technology did indeed aid employees with working faster and covering a much broader range of tasks. It also helped employees work for more hours in a day, even when they were not explicitly asked to do so or even mandated to use AI. Enterprise subscriptions to AI tools were made available to workers who wanted to experiment with them, but they were free to work on their own if they preferred.
The strategy to experiment with the technology without added company pressures hanging over them worked surprisingly well, with employees taking the initiative to learn their way around the tools and do more work just because they could. Forced adoption rarely works well, whether within the employment landscape or outside of it, and the research showed as much. On the flip side, however, these ambitions and positive results came with the consequence of AI increasing workloads and pushing workers closer to burnout.
Do AI Tools Actually Increase Workload and Burnout?
The link between AI and productivity is certainly a win for business leaders, but the long-term impacts of an over-reliance on this technology should also be studied. While employees took to the technology with enthusiasm, after the initial burst of productivity, many found that their workloads had quietly increased and added a lot more to their plates than was healthy. HBR found three explanations for how and why AI intensifies work for employees.
The research first pointed to an expansion of task loads, with employees now taking on others’ workload by turning to AI to handle some of the initial stages of work. The study also found that the excitement of learning their way around technology had workers experimenting with it even during their breaks and non-working hours, the simplicity of the prompt work blurring the boundaries between work and their downtime.
Additionally, workers also found it easier to multitask and get more done on different tabs while the AI kept its reasoning and responding going, essentially creating the experience of having a secretary. Despite this, the responsibility and workload of getting more done still fell solely on them. AI may be simplifying workloads, but it is also increasing them. This gradual rise in responsibility, whether intentional or not, garnishes the ultimate recipe for burnout.
The Research on AI Productivity and Burnout Is an Important Reminder to Set up Sustainable Systems
As the study shows, AI increases workloads and eventually the risk of burnout. Organizations that are keen on investing in AI should certainly have a system in place to regulate, limit, and support AI usage. However, businesses that don’t have an AI strategy should also consider exploring its impact on employees. The workload creep comes with long-term risks, and the threat of AI slop disguised as productive results is never too far away.
It’s hard to deny that there are many unintentional consequences of AI usage. While it’s great to give employees the freedom to set their own terms at work, it’s just as critical to discuss this usage with them and better understand how the technology is impacting their well-being.
This can look like:
- Emphasizing the importance of taking clear breaks at work and stepping away from work desks
- Discussing AI usage with managers regularly to understand just how it is impacting employees and their workloads
- Allowing employees to retreat and reconfigure their workloads if they find they have too much on their plates
- Creating intentional pause periods where employers step back and re-evaluate their AI usage, rather than keep pushing forward as far as the tech will take them
- Identifying opportunities for discussions between AI users to help them learn from each other’s experiences and coping methods
- Working to create human-centric work periods where employees reconnect with their skills, abilities, and creativity
- Investing in establishing a healthy work-life balance that encourages workers to log out on time, leave their work in the office, and pay attention to their own well-being
- Evaluating results to ensure that while employees feel more productive, the quality of their work with AI presents desirable results as well
Addressing Burnout Is an Employer’s Responsibility
The relationship between AI and burnout is one that’s worth exploring further. In the competitive job market today, workers feel compelled to explore this emerging technology, even without employer pressure. A significant portion of this drive does come from their internal excitement to learn and do more, but businesses that capitalize on this enthusiasm should also consider giving back to workers and ensuring their well-being. Burnout may appear to be a singular concern of exhaustion, but there are many layers to its impact on workers.
Without stability, workers who push themselves to their limit will eventually lose their motivation and love for the job. They might even consider quitting when their workloads prove too overwhelming. Aspects like absenteeism and workplace conflict can also rise. Mental exhaustion can lead to lowered attention to detail, ultimately hurting their results. “Productivity” repeatedly comes up as a benefit of AI, but there continues to be a lack of clarity on what this really means and how it should be measured. Quantitative growth looks great on paper, but qualitative results are just as important in practice.
Just like with any other technology, AI has limitless potential to redefine work, but an excessively ambitious drive to reach its full potential all at once can backfire. Productivity is a central goal at any workplace, but a single-minded pursuit of it could blind us to the signs of burnout and exhaustion that are making themselves known.
Do you agree with the findings that AI increases workloads and burnout, or has your experience with the tech panned out differently? Share with us in the comments. Subscribe to The HR Digest for more insights into the trends, trials, and tribulations that are reshaping the workplace.
