Artificial intelligence is believed to save workers time by helping them complete their daily tasks. But just how much more efficient can it make employees?
About 55% of workers say they use AI on the job, with about one-third of those saying it cuts down the time they need to complete their assignments by one to two hours, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
How are workers using AI on the job?
Workers reported turning to AI for help with tasks including writing, generating new ideas, conducting research and completing administrative tasks.
Here’s how they say they most frequently use AI on the job:
37% use it to search for information or technical help32% to write or draft text32% to generate ideas31% to interpret, translate or summarize information27% for administrative tasks21% for data analysis or visualization16% for tutoring or training12% for customer support
A smaller share of workers use it to write code, for medical care and to manage logistics or supply chains, according to the Census data.
How much time does AI save workers?
One-quarter of workers who reported using AI at work say the tools shaved less than an hour off the time it would have otherwise taken them to complete a task. More than 30% said AI saved them one to two hours.
A smaller share — 15% — of workers saw even greater efficiency gains, saying that AI cut their workloads by three hours. An additional 15% said it saved them four hours.
To be sure, it can take time to learn how to use new technology that workers are not yet familiar with, sometimes adding hours to the time required to complete a task. Research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology shows that AI adoption in manufacturing initially decreases productivity before ultimately helping workers achieve long-term gains.
Economists use the “J-curve” model to explain the phenomenon. The productivity trajectory, in the shape of the letter J, reflects the period when considerable resources are committed to learning and investing in new technologies, with productivity initially dipping before rising exponentially.
“AI isn’t plug-and-play,” Kristina McElheran, a University of Toronto professor and digital fellow at the MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy who has researched AI’s impact on productivity, said in a July statement. “It requires systemic change, and that process introduces friction, particularly for established firms.”
