AI At Work: Is AI Boosting Your Productivity Or Behind Your Next Burnout?

[00:00:34] Hey guys, welcome to another episode of The Digital Diet podcast. I’m your host, Marisha Pink, aka The Digital Diet Coach, and today we’re talking about everyone’s favorite topic. We are talking about AI. AI was having a bit of a moment when I last talked about it and it’s had some time to bed down since then.

[00:00:56] In Episode 5, which I will link in the show notes, I was really talking about the fears and concerns that we all had about whether AI was coming for our jobs. And at least after the initial excitement had sort of died down, and AI became a bit more of a permanent fixture on people’s radars, that was the biggest worry and concern that we had.

[00:01:17] What’s interesting is that we’re now 8–9 months on from that episode, and everything’s had a bit of time to bed down and we’ve all had a bit more experience. Some of the fears have dropped away and we’re now seeing a slightly different take. And that’s what I want to focus on today.

[00:01:33] We’re now starting to see different viewpoints emerge because of the different experiences that we’re having. And it was one set of experiences in particular that I wanted to talk about today, that came from a Forbes article I read. That referenced a global study that found that 77% of employees had reported that AI was increasing their workloads and hampering their productivity, which is of course the complete opposite of this big AI dream that we’ve been sold.

[00:02:03] AI was meant to make all of our workloads lighter. It was meant to make tasks simpler and faster to do. It was supposed to make us all more productive and therefore make the organisations that we work for more productive and efficient too.

[00:02:17] And essentially what we’re finding is that, well, work is stressful enough. But now, something that was hailed as being a help, that was supposed to make your job easier, may actually be contributing to employee overload and, ultimately, burnout.

[00:02:32] The global study in question was done in partnership with The Upwork Research Institute and they interviewed 2,500 Global C-Suite executives, full-time employees, and freelancers; I will link the study itself in the show notes. What they found was that, essentially, there’s this big disconnect between expectations and reality.

[00:02:55] The majority of C-suite leaders that were interviewed, at 81%, acknowledged that they had increased the demands they made on their workers in the past year. And despite 96% of those C-suite executives expecting AI to boost productivity, 77% of employees said that AI had added to their workload and created challenges in achieving that expected increase in productivity.

[00:03:21] Nearly half of the employees using AI in the study, at 47%, said that they don’t know how to achieve the expected productivity gains that their employers are expecting. And 40% of them feel that their company is just asking too much of them when it comes to AI. And the burden of this expectation, the strain and the stress that it causes, and all that pressure, has a human cost.

[00:03:45] 71% of full-time employees are burned out and 65% of them reported struggling with their employer’s demands on their productivity. The result of which being that 1 in 3 full-time employees said that they would likely quit their jobs in the next 6 months due to feeling overworked and burnt out.

[00:04:03] So now in this situation where we have higher expectations, but we’ve got more stressed out and burnt out employees, who are potentially leaving organisations or maybe going off sick. What the study also uncovered was that many of the C-suite executives were bringing in freelance talent to complement their workforce, because they found that freelancers were meeting their productivity demands and actually often exceeding them, and therefore outpacing full-time employees.

[00:04:30] And when they brought in freelancers, the overall level of wellbeing and engagement with employees improved, probably because people didn’t feel like they were carrying and shouldering all of that burden all by themselves. And, although it obviously costs more to bring in freelancers, the C-suite executives noted that they had doubled some of the outcomes for their business. There was a 40% increase in the quality of work being produced, a 39% increase in innovation, 39% increase in scalability, and 36% increase in revenues and bottom line.

[00:05:03] But this is obviously not a long term solution. You can’t have a permanently stressed out workforce that is on the brink of burnout or going off sick due to stress, and keep bringing in freelancers every time you have a new piece of technology or a new goal that you’re trying to hit. It’s just not sustainable. So I think it’s really important to look at the dynamics of the workplace here and think about how we show up at work, and what we bring to our jobs.

[00:05:28] Clearly there is a mismatch between expectations and reality and I think this is the difference, it’s the gulf, between theory and practice. For such a long time AI was billed as this thing that was going to revolutionise the workplace, and to be honest it has. But like all technologies, alongside all the great benefits that it brings, there are always some disadvantages or some unexpected negatives that we need to find a way to navigate and address.

[00:05:55] This is something that it’s very difficult for us to conceive of when we’re just theorising about a new technology. We really need to see it in practice, in the hands of the people, to see what will happen. And in the context of AI and burnout and productivity, it’s actually not really a new problem. We’ve seen this many times before. It’s not uncommon for leaders to set unrealistic and unachievable targets. It’s not uncommon for managers to have a bright idea that they won’t actually be responsible for executing, but still expect to get done, and the stress of making things happen falls on their employees.

[00:06:29] And if you work for a really big organisation, it’s not uncommon to have consultants from lots of the big management consulting firms who come in, and they conclude that what’s needed is an organisational transformation in order to meet business goals. And so they start changing things and moving things around. Transforming systems and processes, some of which weren’t broken, all in the name of efficiency and productivity and output. But end up actually introducing a set of new problems, or not necessarily upskilling and training the workforce to work within the new system. And I think the same thing is probably going on with AI.

[00:07:02] Workplaces are not necessarily providing the right training to help employees upskill in AI. They’re just expecting them to know or they’re expecting them to figure it out by themselves, and in some cases, it’s just ignorance or complacency. The survey found that only 40% of leaders today have a high level of awareness of the AI skills that exist within their current workforce. So again, it comes back to having this bright idea and expecting that your workforce has the requisite skills to carry out that idea, but not necessarily knowing that for a fact.

[00:07:35] And on the other end of the spectrum, many employees, especially people that have been in their jobs for a long time, tend to have gotten a bit comfortable in their careers. They get comfortable in their jobs and they’re happy with the status quo. Or, if they are a bit more ambitious and they are constantly seeking to grow and innovate and train, there are plenty of ways in which you can stretch yourself and grow and expand, without involving AI. And so it’s also possible that while the organisation wants you to embrace AI, you yourself don’t necessarily have that as an ambition for yourself.

[00:08:06] What I thought was interesting about the study was the distinction that was made between full-time employees and freelancers. As you’ll know if you’ve been listening to the podcast for a little while, I myself am a freelancer. And I can tell you firsthand that freelancers simply don’t have that luxury. Obviously we don’t have to do something or learn something that we fundamentally don’t want to and we could pivot a little bit in the services that we offer. But most freelancers are actually engaging in self-directed training because we need to stay competitive in the marketplace. We just don’t have that luxury of not keeping up with the rate of change and making sure that we keep ourselves at the forefront of our industries.

[00:08:45] And although that training and upskilling is something that we have to take upon ourselves, we’re probably actually more efficient in the workplace because we’re not bogged down by all the other responsibilities that a traditional full-time employee has. We don’t have line management responsibilities. We don’t have to engage in office politics. And we don’t have to engage in what I like to call personal promotion. We’re not trying to make sure that we are visible and that our work is visible, so that when it’s time for recognition and reward we get what we think we deserve.

[00:09:14] And that’s why I think when it comes to the adoption of AI and the growth in AI skills, it’s actually unsurprising that AI adoption is highest amongst freelancers. Nearly half of freelancers, at 48%, report being somewhat or highly skilled at using AI, with over a third of them, at 34%, using AI tools at least one to two days a week. And I can vouch for this because I use AI technologies to even create this podcast.

[00:09:41] I use tools like ChatGPT to help me come up with ideas for topics for the podcast; to help me create better show notes for the episodes. But I also use AI to generate an automatic transcript of the episodes, which is actually how I edit them, and I’m able to make a transcript available for each episode. Imagine how long that would take, if that had to be transcribed manually. It’s just not something I would be able to do by myself.

[00:10:06] Within the same tool, I’ve also generated an AI version of my voice. And the reason I’ve done that is because sometimes when I sit down to edit, I find that what I’ve recorded isn’t as clear as I would like it to be. Or I have messed up on a word and then the retake isn’t quite as clean as I would like it to be, for me to cut it up and make it sound like I didn’t make a mistake.

[00:10:26] And what I’m able to do in the technology that I use – it’s called Descript by the way, I’ll put a link to it in the show notes. But what I’m able to do is to regenerate that little passage of text using my AI voice. I’m getting a bit better at this podcasting thing, so I don’t have to do it as much as I think I probably did maybe two to three months ago. But I bet none of you even noticed, because that’s the whole point. It’s meant to be seamless, it’s meant to fit in.

[00:10:50] But what I will say, is that my experiences of using AI voiceover and messing around with it, and trying to figure out how to get the best out of that technology, have served me well in a recent project that I’ve been doing on one of my freelance contracts. We were talking about the pros and cons of using an AI-generated voice versus a voiceover artist coming to the studio and professionally recording voiceover to accompany a video that we’re making.

[00:11:14] I had a lot to say on the matter when we first started talking about it with my clients. I was able to answer a lot of their questions and I was able to support the process of some of the other members of my team getting further information, to help make a final decision about which direction we were going to go in. But that’s not something I’ve learned from doing my freelance jobs.

[00:11:32] It’s something that I’ve learned from all of the other bits and bobs that I dabble in. It’s stuff that I’ve learned from probably being naturally a little bit curious and liking to know how technology works, especially given my interest in digital wellness and how these technologies affect us. But it was something that I didn’t really think about too much until I left that first meeting and I realised that I had asked a bunch of questions that seemed really obvious and intuitive to me, but none of my team would have thought to ask because they have no experience yet of using AI voice.

[00:12:00] And in the end, we have decided to go with the AI-generated voice. And we did some investigations as to what technology we would use to generate it and who would be responsible for doing that in the organisation, because it’s something relatively new that the organisation hasn’t really done before. But I think what this highlights is that whilst most people or most businesses are kind of very interested in AI and investing heavily in it – so we had a team that was able to do this and was experimenting with it. Most organisations are actually currently failing to unlock the full productivity value of AI technologies.

[00:12:35] There’s a quote from the Forbes article by Kelly Monahan, who is the Managing Director and Head of The Upwork Research Institute, that I think really hits the nail on the head. She says that the “research shows that introducing new technologies into outdated work models and systems is failing to unlock the full expected productivity value of AI,” and “while it’s certainly possible for AI to simultaneously boost productivity and improve employee wellbeing, this outcome will require a fundamental shift in how we organize talent and work.”

[00:13:06] I thought this was so spot on because this is exactly the problem that I think many organisations, big and small, will face. It isn’t enough to just invest in the tech stack, so invest in getting access to AI platforms, whether it’s something that generates AI voices or is able to do work that’s normally traditionally done by employees, or just to be able to do it faster. You actually have to know how to use it and you actually need people in your organisation that know how to use it most effectively, in order to see those productivity gains.

[00:13:37] That’s one of the reasons why in Episode 5, when I was talking about whether you should be worried about AI coming for your job, that I said it’s important that you take it upon yourself to learn how to work with AI, because it would give you a competitive edge, it’s not going away anytime soon. And only when we do that will we have those productivity increases that the managers and leaders are hoping for, without the risk of possibly losing critical workers because of overwhelm, because of burnout, because of frustration, resulting in a way of working that actually works for everyone.

[00:14:08] Now, if you have found yourself feeling stressed out and overwhelmed, and possibly on the cusp of a burnout, then I want to remind you that I have the #TechTimeoutChallenge, which is a 30 day digital detox that you can do very simply and very easily. You don’t have to go anywhere. Well, you do have to go somewhere, but you don’t have to take yourself off grid for 30 days and have no contact with the outside world, in order to get that respite and that break that your brain desperately needs when we live in this crazy, modern digital world that we live in.

[00:14:40] The #TechTimeoutChallenge gives you activities that you can do that are designed to help you relax, help you switch off, help you reconnect with yourself, help you reconnect with your loved ones, help you rediscover the joy in your life and the things that you like doing. It’s a free challenge and it’s super simple to get your hands on it.

[00:14:59] All you have to do is head to the show notes, where you will find a link to the #TechTimeoutChallenge. You pop your email address in and I will send you the guide, which explains exactly how to do the challenge. It has all the ideas for all the activities and a little 30-day plan that you just follow along and tick off. While you’re still going to have to deal with the underlying issue of AI in the workplace, which I’m going to get to in a moment. Hopefully it helps you to find a way to calm yourself, to feel more relaxed, to feel more in control, and reduces the likelihood that you will actually end up burnt out.

[00:15:29] Now, when it comes to navigating the demands that AI has placed on you in the workplace, here is my two cents. First and foremost, I think you need to be empowered and encouraged to engage with AI by participating in AI training programmes. As I said before, I’m a freelancer. I dabble in lots of things. I’m also a geek and I love learning, and I know it’s not for everybody. But I think this is really, really important for the future of work, and your future career and your future success in the workplace.

[00:16:00] Ask around in your company, speak to HR, speak to your manager, maybe the company has some basic AI training programmes that you could look into as a starting point. Or, if you see AI programmes or AI courses that you think would be interesting, or are related to your industry specifically that you think might support you as AI becomes more embedded into the workplace, speak to your boss or speak to HR about whether they’d be willing to pay for you to go on those courses or attend those programmes.

[00:16:28] There is usually a learning and development and training budget set aside. Maybe you even have a training allowance each year that you’re allowed to spend a certain amount of money on growing your skill set or growing your knowledge. Failing that, if there’s nothing on offer, definitely check out places like Skillshare, check out LinkedIn Learning, even YouTube, which is free. You don’t have to pay for any of those things. I will put a link to all three of those platforms in the show notes.

[00:16:56] But it has never been easier for you to learn a new skill than it is at this time, because everything is online. You can do it in small, bite-sized doses. It doesn’t need to be a one week residential course or six month course that you do, unless that’s something that you’re really interested in. And even if you only end up learning a few basics, it will definitely help you to feel more confident about how to work with AI in the workplace, and maybe feel a bit less stressed about how it’s changing the way that you work, and changing the demands on you from your management or your leadership teams.

[00:17:26] I also think it’s important that you actually provide feedback on so-called AI productivity tools, and on the metrics that are being used to measure efficiency, effectiveness, productivity. You have a really important role to play in shaping the strategies and goals and metrics that you will measure success by, not just for your job but in your business or as a company as a whole.

[00:17:48] There was a line in the Forbes article that I really liked that said that “every worker should now think of themselves as a critical part of research and development, rethinking how to best do their work and accomplish their goals in light of AI advancements.” AI isn’t going anywhere, guys, but you don’t have to have all the answers either. It can be an iterative process. You can be part of trials, of testing out ways to work with it, ways to use it to improve your productivity and efficiency, the best way to measure those changes.

[00:18:19] And I think by embracing it and being part of those discussions, and being open to the ways in which AI can help or hinder, you will potentially feel less stressed. Because you’ve had a hand in shaping and determining exactly what’s going to be measured, and what the targets are going to be, and input into how realistic and attainable they’re likely to be, so that it doesn’t feel like such a burden or an overreach, or something unrealistic that someone is expecting you to do.

[00:18:46] By the same token, you have to really be vocal if you are struggling or you think targets are unrealistic. If something’s been imposed upon you already, which is fairly likely at this point, the truth is, no one can help you find a solution if they don’t know that you’re struggling. If you struggle in silence and eventually you burn out, or you ultimately get driven away from a job that you might actually love, all because you failed to proactively address and acknowledge how you were feeling, I think it’s a bit of a loss for everyone involved.

[00:19:14] And if you’re fairly well-established in your industry, in your career, and you don’t really have any desire to change industries or change job functions, then quitting is also not going to solve the problem. Other jobs in your industry are also being impacted by AI. Other jobs will be the same. You’re not going to get away from AI by changing jobs, unless you change to very specific professions.

[00:19:37] And even if you manage to find a company that maybe isn’t embracing AI and embracing these innovations in the same way, those companies that stay in those outdated models will eventually become obsolete. It’s unfortunately just the way that the world works. So rather than trying to outrun AI, embrace it, be vocal, try to figure out how to make it work best for you, as well as working for the organisation that you work for.

[00:20:02] And when you have these conversations, it can sometimes help leaders and managers to understand exactly how big the skills gap is, understand whether the skills gap is not really just on an individual level. So you may find that it’s not just you, but there are other people in your team, or other people in your department or other departments, that are feeling the same. And encourage them to think about how to bridge that skills gap temporarily, while you are upskilling yourself.

[00:20:27] And that’s where these freelancers or these contractors come in. I think everybody needs to embrace outside expertise and understand that that is there to help alleviate all of those concerns about the extra workload that is required to meet these new productivity targets. But also that having somebody actually there, whether you are working together remotely or you’re working literally alongside each other in the same office, is a great opportunity for learning.

[00:20:52] These people can teach you how to best leverage AI. And having someone come in doesn’t mean that you failed at your job or you’re failing at your job. It’s not a defeat. It’s a learning opportunity. It’s putting certain things in a safer pair of hands and giving you the opportunity to learn by doing, learn by observation, and giving you the opportunity to see what’s what and understand how to get things done in this new way that we’re working with AI.

[00:21:18] The idea here is not to hand off the AI stuff to the freelancer and then just never worry about it again. You’re not supposed to be sitting on the sidelines. Go and learn. Go and shadow. Go and ask questions. Sit in on the meetings. Watch demonstrations being done. This is your opportunity to move from theory to practice, because a lot of the times, even when you take those AI courses or those AI lessons and programmes, it’s still very theoretical.

[00:21:47] This is your opportunity to effectively try to practice these newfound AI skills in a relatively safe environment, because someone else has been brought in to steer the ship the right way if it’s going awry, because they have that prior experience or that expertise and those skills. And I’m saying this mostly with employees in mind, but I think this is really important for managers too.

[00:22:06] Even if your role doesn’t directly involve doing the doing, for want of a better way of putting it, I think it can help you to be a better manager if you understand what it is you’re asking your employees to do, and you understand the realities of their day-to- day working experience, particularly when it comes to AI. And if you do that, then it can help you work with them to set more realistic expectations and have a better understanding of what’s actually possible, and avoid placing that unnecessary stress and burden on them that leads to that overwhelm, and possibly even that burnout.

[00:22:38] That’s it for today’s episode, but I can’t leave, of course, without leaving you our weekly challenge. This week, your weekly challenge is a simple one. I challenge you to take one AI lesson or one AI course. You don’t have to do it all in a week, but you just have to get started this week. So, go and find the course that you’re going to take or find the lesson that you’re going to take, and then schedule in some time to complete it over the coming weeks or coming months.

[00:23:03] If you’re a complete beginner, have a look for something that’s an introduction to AI. So that might just be one, one hour lesson just to kind of dip your toes in the water, get a feel and a flavour for what AI might involve for you, in your job and in your industry. If you’re a little bit more advanced, then you can opt for a slightly longer course or a series of videos, maybe that’s part of a programme, just to help you upskill yourself even further.

[00:23:25] Don’t cheat on this by just doing a simple introduction to AI. If you already know those kind of basics, it’s not really a challenge. So make sure you try and push yourself. The idea here is to extend your knowledge, extend your skills, so that you can think about how you can apply them in the workplace, and what questions that you maybe need to ask. Or conversations that you need to have to start to work out how to work well with AI, in terms of productivity, in your job.

[00:23:51] If you do decide to take part in the weekly challenge, then the place to let me know about your experience is in The Digital Diet Lounge, which is my dedicated community space for all things digital wellness and women. Come on in, let me know what course you decided to do or what lesson you found. Tell me what you’ve learned. Tell me if it was useful. Tell me how you’ve then decided to apply it to your job in the workplace. I want to know everything. I will put a link in the show notes and I hope to see you over in The Digital Diet Lounge.

[00:24:21] As always, the show notes are available on my website, and for this episode you can find them by going to thedigitaldietcoach.com/034. I know you’re busy and I know your time is incredibly valuable so, as always, I thank you for choosing to spend a little bit of your day with me, and I’ll see you next time.