I recently had the pleasure of hearing Robert Youmans speak at Product Design Week on the future of workplace happiness. Robert is the Director of UX Research over at Google Workspace, so he knows a thing or two about technology and its influence on people’s work life. 

Youmans began with a discussion on the history of workplace productivity. He emphasised how the perception of what it means to be productive has changed over time, partly due to how we measure workplace outputs. He went on to talk about how we work, our productivity at work and how we stay happy is currently undergoing a major transformation, thanks to - you guessed it - artificial intelligence.

The true value of GenAI

Our understanding of GenAI's value is already evolving, particularly in how we measure the benefits it delivers. GenAI’s value has typically been rooted in measuring the time it saves those who use it. Complete a task quicker and you save your company time and money, right? Whilst saving time is great, in many cases it’s actually how that spare time is utilised that is the more important metric. Perhaps you can get through your tasks quicker for the week, but unless you unlock new, maybe unexpected value, then what was the point in saving the time?

Of course, this will differ depending on the job and the role. For some, reducing the amount of time it takes to complete a task is important because it will allow them to do MORE of the same task. Think about someone in a sales role sending outreach emails, less time on each email just means they can send more emails. But for many jobs the hope with GenAI is that it will reduce time spent on ‘undesirable’ admin tasks and therefore free up time for the more ‘important’ aspects of their role. Think about a designer who can spend more time on creating designs because they no longer have to gather and summarise feedback. 

Navigating uncertain waters

As GenAI grows more powerful, people in these roles will need to decide how best to use their newly found time, balancing their desires with the expectations of their employer. Will your performance in other aspects of your role improve? Will employers expect you to do more project work or will they think about your own personal development? Will the extra time mean more training courses and personal development for staff? 

For employers, as AI is speeding up the drudgery of administrative tasks for your employees, it feels like a good opportunity to allow them to explore new skills, rather than piling on additional work. While these skills may not have an immediate payoff, they could be beneficial in the future. Consider offering team members opportunities to learn new skills during work hours. Allowing team members to learn a new language on company time could one day open up new markets, or facilitating coding skills could boost productivity. 

Only time will tell how exactly productivity will be impacted in each job. In reality will a police officer who saves time filling in their reports go on to prevent or solve more crimes? Will a doctor saving time by using AI to review medical imaging data, see more patients? The answers to these questions remain uncertain. What is clear is that Generative AI is fundamentally shifting the landscape of work. It's not just about doing the same things faster, but about unlocking the potential for new possibilities.

Embracing change

Rather than fearing this change, we should embrace it. By proactively investing in employee development and fostering a culture of continuous learning, businesses can harness the true power of GenAI. This means moving beyond a narrow focus on time saved and embracing a broader vision of value creation.

The future of work is not simply about automation, but about augmentation. It's about empowering individuals to do more, learn more, and achieve more. By embracing this shift, we can create a future where both individuals and organizations thrive in the age of AI.