AI time savings at work often get lost in checking and tool switching

In short: Many workers say AI saves them time, but much of that time is spent managing AI, so companies may not see better overall results.

What's going on

Workplace leaders often talk about AI boosting productivity, meaning people get more done in less time. A Financial Times newsletter highlights a problem: saving minutes on small tasks does not always make an organisation run better.

One issue is “botsitting”, which means people have to babysit AI outputs (like proofreading a rough draft and fixing errors). Rebecca Hinds at Glean’s Work AI Institute said workers report spending 6.4 hours a week on this hidden work, such as giving the AI more background, checking answers, and rerunning requests.

A separate issue is the “toggle tax”. This is time lost switching between different AI tools, like having to visit several shops to buy one item. The survey of 6,000 digital workers found nearly 8 in 10 people juggle multiple AI tools each week, and 60% run the same question in different tools to get a better result.

The survey also found a gap between time saved and business impact. It reported that AI saves workers 11 hours a week, but only 13% of workers see any improvement in company performance.

What to watch

Several leaders quoted in the piece argue that companies may need to fix basic issues first, like having organised data and clear processes, before AI can help at a company level. It may also mean redesigning teams and workflows so AI fits naturally, instead of being placed on top of old ways of working.

Source: Financial Times