AI creates extra work for one in seven US employees, survey finds

A new survey sheds light on how AI systems can perform certain tasks on behalf of employees while also creating additional work for them.

The poll by Ipsos and Epoch AI, a non-profit focused on AI research, surveyed 2,021 American adults about how they use the technology at work.

Among employees who used AI in the past week, 19.1% said the technology now does part of the job they used to do themselves.

AI is being marketed as a productivity tool, touted for its ability to automate routine tasks. However, earlier surveys suggest that the systems often create extra work for employees who oversee them and fix their mistakes.

The Ipsos/Epoch AI poll also finds that 14.4% of employees report performing new tasks that they wouldn’t have done without AI services.

Looking for information and recommendations, as well as writing and editing texts, remain the most common uses of AI at work, the poll found.

One in four (25.1%) of employees use AI services for personal reflection or fun chat, while 8.8% say they use the technology for friendship and companionship.

However, only a half of respondents reported using AI in the past week. Among them, ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Microsoft Copilot are the most popular tools for work.

The arrival of generative AI in late 2022 has sparked concerns that it could replace knowledge workers and cause mass unemployment.

While tech companies are increasingly justifying layoffs by citing AI adoption, there’s widespread suspicion that the technology is just an excuse for business failures and overhiring.

In addition, data shows a 1.1% increase in US non-farm employment since the rollout of ChatGPT, suggesting that AI hasn’t led to major worker displacement.

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