AI Doesn't Reduce Work — It Intensifies It, Harvard Business Review Study Finds

Summary

A new Harvard Business Review article by researchers Aruna Ranganathan and Xingqi Maggie Ye presents findings from an eight-month study (April-December 2025) of approximately 200 employees at a U.S. technology company. The study — which combined twice-weekly in-person observations, internal communication analysis, and over 40 in-depth interviews across engineering, product, design, research, and operations — found that AI tools intensify rather than reduce work. Employees worked at a faster pace