The triumph of artificial intelligence or AI in the workplace has been going on for years. The aim was that AI would do the boring jobs of humans and workers would get more leisure time. But in reality the opposite is happening. In a social media post, Andrew Young, the founder of the US startup Fib, said that instead of reducing the workload of employees after the arrival of AI, instead of reducing it, it has increased five times.
Andrew Yang, citing the experience of one of his colleagues, said that in large tech companies, about 75 percent of daily work is now done with AI or artificial intelligence. This includes tasks such as creating slides, calculating spreadsheets, project management, data analysis and coordination.
This automation, Young observed, has not brought any respite for workers. It’s true that AI has taken away some jobs from humans, he writes, but that doesn’t mean that workers now have more time on their hands. On the contrary, their work has increased. The fact is, when work becomes easier and faster, the expectations of the authorities to fill the void also increase manifold. Now five times more output or result is expected from each worker than before.
Below Yang’s post, many professionals expressed their opinions. As one commented, we have now moved from ‘implementation-driven’ work to ‘strategy-driven’ work and everyone is overwhelmed by the workload. If 75 percent of your day’s work is done by AI, and yet your workload increases, are you actually saving time or just draining your mental capacity?
Another user said AI makes work easier, so leadership expectations rise to fill that void. If you can do five times as much, leadership starts planning based on those five times. Now the problem is not ‘doing’, but more time is spent deciding ‘what should be done’. The results are increasing, but the stress is increasing even faster.
Many have expressed frustration with the mindset of the corporate world. At the end of the day, management and shareholders decide how much work is enough, says one professional. They do not see the work-life balance of employees. They see how much juice can be squeezed out of a lemon. This is what MBA degree holders are taught.
The main point that emerged in the discussion was that technology does not reduce stress, but rather changes the nature of stress. One user wrote, “Reduced physical or manual labor means increased responsibility and demand for higher results.” Decision making and judgment are now the main tasks. Most people were not prepared for this difficult task.
However, many are trying to find the positive side. Some believe that AI is empowering humans to do creative and meaningful work. One such person said, ‘I’m making something faster every day and I have no complaints about this change.’
References: The Economic Times
