Tech visionaries and policy makers alike have long predicted that artificial intelligence would eventually usher in an era of shorter workweeks. Proponents argued that automation would handle the heavy lifting, leaving humans with more free time. Yet, fresh data tells a very different story about how modern offices actually operate.
A recent analysis from workplace productivity software company ActivTrak reveals that employees who use AI tools work up to 90 minutes longer every day compared to their non-using peers. The study tracked digital work activity from over 9,000 employees across 467 companies between April and September. While standard employees logged an average of 7.6 hours daily, AI users stretched their workdays anywhere from 8.4 to 9.1 hours.
Heavy AI users, defined as those logging more than 45 minutes across at least five sessions daily, spent an extra 18 minutes working after hours. They also exhibited more fragmented work patterns, switching between applications more frequently and experiencing shorter stretches of uninterrupted focus than light users. Gabriela Mauch, chief customer officer at ActivTrak, noted that while the technology helps complete individual tasks faster, it ultimately leads to extended hours and more cognitive strain.
Researchers suggest several reasons for the phenomenon, ranging from self-driven ambition to a general pressure to absorb a broader scope of tasks. A separate eight-month ethnographic study from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, mirrors these findings. Researchers there observed that employees worked at a faster pace and took on heavier workloads without explicit management demands, warning that such intense output may prove difficult to sustain over the long haul.
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