AI and productivity
AI saved us time. Who gets to use it?
New research suggests faster work can bring new pressure. Here is how to decide where the saved minutes go.
An AI assistant can shorten a task. But the minute it saves does not arrive with a label saying who gets it. It might become time to help a customer, review an answer or take a break. It might also be filled by the next request before anyone notices.
What workers say about their workload
Wellhub's State of Work-Life Wellness survey asked more than 5,000 full-time employees in ten countries about AI and wellbeing in June 2026. Among its 2,077 “AI Pioneers”—people whose fluency scores placed them in its highest group—40% said AI increased their workload. The corresponding figure among beginners was 15%. Wellhub
Wellhub also reported that 79% of pioneers coached colleagues on AI. The survey relies on self-reports; it does not establish that AI alone caused differences in workload or burnout. Its respondents worked in the ten countries studied, so the percentages should not be treated as a prediction for every business. Wellhub
A saved hour is a choice, not an outcome
In a separate survey of 1,303 senior functional leaders from January through April 2026, Gartner reported that 23% said AI had reduced headcount in their function while 17% reported an increase. The results describe leaders' reports across functions, not the chance that any individual job will disappear. Gartner recommends deciding where capacity should go and tracking outcomes beyond hours saved. Gartner
The two sources ask different people different questions. Together, they suggest a useful management question: after a faster task, does the team gain breathing room, better customer service or simply more tasks?
Try a time ownership agreement
A small experiment for one week
- 1
Pick a repeatable task
Choose something like scheduling a consultation. Write down its start, finish and current owner.
- 2
Count the whole loop
Include checking an AI draft, switching tools, correcting details and waiting for a reply—not just the initial response.
- 3
Choose the destination first
Agree with the people doing the work whether any time recovered goes to customer care, focused work, training or a lighter workload.
- 4
Compare and adjust
Review a few comparable requests. Record active time, errors and interruptions as well as the outcome. A small sample is a prompt for discussion, not a universal productivity claim.
From inquiry to appointment
Imagine a client asks for a consultation. One approach trades several messages about availability and retypes the details in a calendar. Another sends a booking link and checks the appointment once it is made. Venmail offers business email and booking tools for this kind of workflow. Actual results depend on the task and how the team uses them.
Keep the human judgment
Checking an answer or confirming a date is useful work. The goal is to make space for that judgment and remove avoidable copying or chasing around it. If the workload remains too large, managers may need to change priorities, staffing or deadlines; software cannot make that decision for them.
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