By @ACSnewsfeed
Publication Date:
Employees spend too much time reviewing AI results and troubleshooting errors. Photo: Shutterstock
Using generative AI (genAI) tools helps employees work faster, take on more tasks, and extend their workdays. But new research suggests the changes may not be sustainable, causing employees to perform more overall and risk burnout.
Researchers at the University of California Berkeley’s Hass School of Business observed the work habits of a US technology company with around 200 employees for eight months.
They regularly observed and interviewed employees from engineering, product, design, research, and operations as they voluntarily began using genAI in their work.
Employees found the tools helpful. AI gave them the confidence to attempt tasks outside of their normal roles, leading to what researchers called “intensification” of work. For example, product managers started writing code while researchers took on technical tasks, often guided by AI feedback rather than…
