In the wake of technological advancements, specifically the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT, many businesses have been eager to adopt these technologies in their workflows. However, rather than streamlining operations and enhancing productivity, these tools may inadvertently be contributing to increased employee stress and burnout. The experiences of Anurag Garg, the founder of Everest PR, illustrate this dichotomy and raise important questions about the impact of AI on the workplace.
When ChatGPT made its debut in late 2022, Garg was quick to integrate it into the daily activities of his eleven-member team. He hoped that leveraging this AI language tool would enable them to generate story ideas, draft media pitches, and transcribe notes from meetings and interviews. However, the anticipated productivity boost was quickly overshadowed by mounting stress across the team. Employees reported that the time taken to fulfill tasks had extended significantly, primarily because they now had to construct detailed prompts for the AI and verify its outputs for errors. With each update to the AI’s platform, the team faced the daunting challenge of learning new features, which further complicated their workflow.
Garg noted that instead of simplifying their work, the introduction of AI tools had resulted in a more convoluted and stressful environment. Team members complained that they felt overwhelmed by expectations of utilizing AI, leading them to spend more time managing these distractions instead of focusing on their core responsibilities. In response to this feedback, Garg adjusted his approach and reduced the team’s reliance on AI, allowing them to utilize it primarily for research tasks. This shift resulted in a happier and more engaged workforce, underscoring the necessity of adapting technology use to enhance rather than hinder employee well-being.
The struggles faced by Garg’s team resonate with broader trends identified in research analyzing workplace attitudes towards AI. A survey conducted by the freelancer platform Upwork, involving 2,500 knowledge workers across the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada, revealed a stark contrast between executive expectations and employee experiences. While an overwhelming 96% of executives expressed optimism that AI tools would boost productivity, the data indicated that 77% of employees felt these tools had, in fact, diminished their productivity and added to their workloads. Worryingly, a significant number of employees reported feeling unclear on how to meet the productivity expectations set by their employers due to their experiences with AI.
Additionally, a separate study highlighted that a growing majority of workers—61% overall and 87% of those under 25—believed AI usage in the workplace would increase their chances of experiencing burnout. Employees not only expressed concern about the volume of work increasing due to the introduction of AI tools, but many also felt their work-life balance was negatively affected. Studies emphasized the cognitive toll of juggling multiple applications and platforms, leading to information overload and decreased efficiency.
In particular, Leah Steele, a coach specializing in supporting legal professionals experiencing burnout, highlighted the stress caused by increased workload demands driven by the implementation of AI-based productivity tools. She shared her own experiences dealing with overwhelming caseloads when new technology was implemented in her previous role. Steele noted the dissonance between the high expectations companies placed on workers and the realities of managing their mental health amidst rapid technological changes.
While some leaders, like Alicia Navarro, CEO of the online productivity platform Flown, acknowledge the potential of AI to empower small firms—thus enabling them to operate more efficiently—they stress the importance of employing these tools wisely. Navarro’s perspective underscores the necessity of creating systems that filter through the overwhelming number of available AI tools, allowing businesses to harness them effectively without adding to worker stress.
Ultimately, the evolving landscape of AI in the workplace presents both opportunities and challenges. As companies navigate these changes, leaders must prioritize employee well-being and consider how technology can be integrated in a manner that promotes productivity rather than compounding stress and burnout. The experiences of individuals like Anurag Garg and the data collected from various studies advocate for a more balanced approach to the adoption of AI tools, stressing that technology should serve to enhance the workforce experience rather than detract from it.
