productivity

Employees Use AI, but Many Say They Don’t Know Why

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A Culture Amp study found that while 85% of employees are encouraged to use AI at work, only about 58% understand why their companies are implementing it, and just 60% have seen examples of AI supporting their work. Despite 71% of employees feeling more productive with AI, workload levels remain similar between AI users and nonusers, suggesting a gap between perceived productivity and actual output. The report recommends organizations clarify AI’s purpose and explicitly decide what tasks to stop doing to realize genuine ROI, emphasizing the need for leadership to communicate candidly about AI’s evolving impact on roles and career development.

https://www.hrdive.com/news/employees-use-ai-but-many-say-they-dont-know-why/831073/

New IFR Position Paper: The Impact of Robots

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The International Federation of Robotics (IFR) released a position paper analyzing how robot adoption affects employment, productivity, and competitiveness, emphasizing that robots typically automate tasks rather than entire jobs and can stimulate employment by boosting productivity and demand. The paper highlights robotics’ role in addressing labor shortages caused by demographic changes, improving working conditions, and strengthening company and national competitiveness, while underscoring the importance of skills development and national robotics strategies aligned with industrial policy and workforce preparation.

https://ifr.org/ifr-press-releases/news/new-ifr-position-paper-the-impact-of-robots

Tech Leaders Say AI Means Less Work – Their Staff Say They Work up to 90 Hours a Week

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Tech company leaders have predicted that AI will reduce working hours and enable shorter workweeks, but employees at AI-focused firms report much longer hours, sometimes up to 90 hours weekly during intense project periods called “sprints.” Research shows AI use has led workers to take on more tasks, work faster, and extend hours, with time savings often absorbed by new responsibilities such as monitoring AI output, contributing to a culture of increased workload rather than reduced labor.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgx4yd1gl2o

How Will AI Automation Hit — Like a Crashing Wave or a Rising Tide?

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New research from MIT FutureTech shows that AI automation is improving gradually across a broad range of text-based workplace tasks rather than through sudden leaps. AI can already perform 50% to 75% of these tasks without edits, and continued steady progress suggests a rising tide effect that allows governments, organizations, and workers time to prepare for task-level displacements and adapt work processes over the coming years.

https://mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-matter/how-will-ai-automation-hit-a-crashing-wave-or-a-rising-tide

When People Think AI Did the Creative Work, Task Meaning and Effort Decline

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A study by researchers from the United States and the Netherlands found that when people believe AI created a creative output, they perceive the related task as less meaningful and are less willing to put in effort, such as contributing their own ideas. This decline in task meaning and motivation occurs despite the quality of the AI-generated work remaining constant, highlighting a challenge for organizations adopting AI: preserving human engagement and a sense of ownership in AI-assisted workflows to fully realize productivity gains.

https://www.brookings.edu/articles/when-people-think-ai-did-the-creative-work-task-meaning-and-effort-decline/

Is AI Creating a Culture of Avoidance?

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AI communication tools help reduce interpersonal friction by smoothing difficult interactions, but experts warn they may also erode empathy and human intuition, especially among younger users still developing social skills. Increased reliance on AI for social exchanges can create a culture of avoidance, diminishing people’s ability to practice real-world empathy and weakening trust and mutual connection. Researchers emphasize the importance of using AI to augment rather than replace human relationships to preserve essential social and cognitive skills.

https://cacm.acm.org/news/is-ai-creating-a-culture-of-avoidance/

AI and the Workforce Have the Same Blind Spots

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New research highlights that while AI accelerates work output, the assumed human quality control step may be compromised due to workforce skill gaps in critical thinking, attention to detail, and creative problem-solving—key competencies for effective AI oversight. Gen Z and Millennial workers excel in communication but score below average on these crucial review skills, risking quality breakdowns in high-stakes AI-augmented roles where error detection is vital. Organizations should assess and build these human skills deliberately, track quality separately from speed, and align roles with verified competencies to ensure AI-human collaboration delivers both efficiency and accuracy.

https://www.cio.com/article/4201924/ai-and-the-workforce-have-the-same-blind-spots.html

AI and Workplace Productivity: What Leaders Need to Know in 2026

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Gallup’s data show that while AI tools have improved individual employee productivity, they have yet to deliver transformational gains at the organizational level due to limited workflow redesign and uneven adoption. The key factor driving frequent AI use and stronger productivity outcomes is active manager support, which shapes employee engagement through clear communication, hands-on modeling, and addressing concerns about AI ethics and job security. Additionally, despite widespread anxiety about AI-driven job loss, direct displacement remains rare, but effective management of employee wellbeing and adoption challenges is essential to maximize AI’s benefits and mitigate workforce disruption.

https://www.gallup.com/workplace/713063/ai-workplace-productivity.aspx

Organizational AI Adoption Jumps Six Points

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Organizational adoption of AI in U.S. workplaces increased from 41% to 47% in Q2 2026, with 52% of employees now using AI in their roles, mostly for writing, research, and problem-solving. Productivity gains are highest among employees using AI for specialized tasks like coding, automation, and data analytics, and workers who use AI for a broader variety of functions report greater productivity improvements. These findings suggest that supporting employees to apply AI across multiple job-relevant tasks can enhance organizational productivity more than limited or occasional AI use.

https://www.gallup.com/workplace/712736/organizational-adoption-jumps-six-points.aspx

3 Ways You’re Working Wrong, According to Scientists

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Scientific research shows that multitasking reduces productivity because switching between tasks incurs time and error costs, especially with complex tasks. Open office layouts decrease face-to-face interactions and increase stress, undermining productivity rather than enhancing collaboration. Furthermore, group brainstorming is less effective than individual ideation, and virtual meetings add cognitive burdens that hinder creative idea generation.

https://www.popsci.com/diy/productivity-myths-open-offices-brainstorming/

AI Will Help Young Workers ‘Mature’ Faster by Automating Grunt Work, Thoma Bravo Says, Amid Youth Job Crisis

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Orlando Bravo, founder of private equity firm Thoma Bravo, asserts that AI is transforming junior workers’ roles by automating routine tasks, enabling them to develop broader skills and mature faster in their careers. Despite concerns about AI reducing entry-level jobs, Bravo notes that associates are engaging more deeply in business operations and building executive relationships, leading to increased hiring. This shift occurs amid rising youth unemployment and efforts to upskill workers with AI capabilities to improve job prospects.

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/10/ai-youth-uneployment-automation-thoma-bravo.html

The Young Are Being Battered by AI as Hiring Shifts to Older Workers

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A recent global survey by Oliver Wyman reveals that CEOs plan to reduce junior roles and shift hiring focus toward mid-level and older workers over the next two years, driven largely by AI automation replacing tasks typically done by early-career employees. This trend is contributing to a harsh job market for young workers, potentially jeopardizing their career growth and the future talent pipeline, even as many companies have yet to see substantial productivity gains from AI investments.

https://gizmodo.com/the-young-are-being-battered-by-ai-as-hiring-shifts-to-older-workers-2000759608

Appearing Productive in The Workplace

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The article discusses how generative AI in the workplace allows novices to produce work that appears expert without the necessary understanding, leading to significant risks when people impersonate expertise outside their training. It highlights the decoupling of output quality from actual competence, resulting in flawed work accepted due to management’s eagerness for apparent productivity, and warns that the lack of human judgment in reviewing AI-generated work undermines quality control and professional development.

https://nooneshappy.com/article/appearing-productive-in-the-workplace/

Bosses Say AI Boosts Productivity – Workers Say They’re Drowning in ‘Workslop’

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The article discusses the rise of “workslop,” a term describing AI-generated work that appears polished but is flawed and requires extensive correction, leading to decreased productivity and morale among workers. Despite executives’ claims that AI boosts efficiency, many employees report spending more time fixing AI errors, highlighting a disconnect between management’s expectations and workers’ experiences with AI in the workplace.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/apr/14/ai-productivity-workplace-errors

Survey: AI Adoption Widespread, Productivity Gains Modest but Rising

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A recent survey by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that a majority of firms have invested in artificial intelligence, experiencing modest but positive productivity gains, particularly in high-skill sectors like finance, with expectations for acceleration in 2026. The study indicates these gains stem more from innovation and improved processes rather than traditional capital investment, highlighting AI’s role in reshaping job functions rather than replacing workers.

https://www.psca.org/news/psca-news/2026/3/survey-ai-adoption-widespread-productivity-gains-modest-but-rising/?ite=50902&ito=1694

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