In the long term, AI should help increase productivity and save time, thus reducing office hours.
But it can have quite the opposite effect.
Your AI assistant never sleeps, never gets tired, always has an answer.
Want to log on to ChatGPT or Claude to discuss a work-related topic – do it whenever you want. Your AI-sparing partner is always available.
The internet was Always ON before, but it wasn’t talking back. Instead, it provided the information you asked for in a browser window. It was still pretty static.
“AI saving time” on Google Search
Now, you can always talk to your AI assistant, and it always talks back.
There is a slight difference here: While looking at static pages of information, scrolling feeds, and watching videos, you stopped at some point. You reached the end of the page.
The AI assistant, on the other hand, always gives custom answers. It generates for you. You can always switch to creator mode, thus keeping you going longer.
Just ask one more thing. And you open up a new rabbit hole after rabbit hole.
We will accommodate to this new reality, like we did to the internet in general. But if you already have a hard time logging off from the web or social media, AI is whole other dimension that gets added.
What should we do about this? Everyone has to find their routine. Be intentional about using your time, and treat AI conversations like doom-scrolling—they will never stop if you don’t.
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