Why AI Isn’t Reducing Workload but Increasing Stress for Employees

Was AI supposed to make work easier? Surprisingly, many IT professionals are working longer hours instead. Faster task completion is raising expectations, adding responsibilities, and creating new workplace stress.

The Promise vs. The Reality

But what's the real scene? Instead of work hours going down, the workload for employees has shot up like anything. That sweet promise of 'less work' from AI has now become a new kind of workplace stress in offices today.

Faster Tools... Soaring Expectations! (The Productivity Paradox)

Generative AI tools help us finish most jobs 30 to 40 percent faster. Writing code or making a presentation now takes just a few minutes. But this is where the problem starts. Companies don't think, 'Great, now you can relax.' Instead, managers' expectations just go up. If you finished 7 tasks in a day before, they now expect 10 with AI's help. The time you save doesn't become your break; it just becomes more work!

Everyone Does Everything Now (Task Expansion)

Earlier, you had to go to specialists for certain jobs. But now, with AI's help, a designer can write a technical script, and a project manager can even do some coding. At first, it feels exciting, like you're learning new skills. But over time, it just adds to your workload. Companies are giving existing employees more responsibilities, pointing to AI, instead of hiring new people. Studies show this has increased daily tasks by 20% to 30%.

All Your Time Goes in Verification! (Coordination Overhead)

Even if AI finishes a job super-fast, a human still has to check if it's 100% correct. This 'quality check' time has gone up a lot. A whopping 65% of employees say that the time they spend coordinating with others has increased after AI. A big chunk of the day goes into fixing small mistakes and attending meetings about them. This puts a constant strain on the brain, causing what they call 'cognitive load'.

Disappearing Work-Life Boundaries (Fading Boundaries)

Because it's so easy to start a task, you might feel tempted to work during your lunch break or even before bed, thinking, 'Let me just put in one small prompt.' Slowly, the line between work and rest is blurring. The truth is, AI is just a tool to make our jobs easier. The future of work will only be healthy if companies set proper boundaries and actually care about their employees' mental well-being.