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I read a recent Harvard Business Review article that focused on what AI was doing to the workplace, and something that sticks out in my mind from it is the idea that, instead of decreasing the amount of time we work, it’s increasing the intensity we work at. If you follow the discussion on LinkedIn or other social media channels, I’m sure it’s come up, because it hints at something that’s been threading its way into public consciousness over the past decade or so: sometimes technology gives us only more opportunities to be busy rather than more time back.
Derek Thompson highlighted some of this in his articles for The Atlantic, but it’s becoming more apparent with the proliferation of AI tools in the modern workplace. The HBR article noted that AI tools do make it easier to complete tasks more quickly, but that time saved often gets used to handle additional tasks, leading to job creep rather than productivity gains. In some ways, it’s a relatively obvious result one may expect, because managers are often pressed to keep resources as productive as they can be, and that means that any time saved should be used for additional opportunities to generate more value for the company.
There are numerous flaws in this thought process. Not every employee wants to be a star — and it can be detrimental if they were — so assuming that every person will automatically use their freed up time to do more high-impact work without direction on what that looks like is more likely to produce a situation where people aim to look busy without actually generating value for themselves or the organization.
It’s unlikely that AI will disappear, but it’s equally unlikely that any serious value will be derived from the haphazard application of AI-powered tools to organizations. Large Language Models may have made AI accessible to people across skill levels, but if leaders are unable or unwilling to structure their organizations and the work their employees do to support all stakeholders across a business’s ecosystem, then LLMs will likely increase burnout more than profitability.
It may mean a little less AI in your workflows, but it could lead to a lot more value in the long-term.
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Tired of news that feels like noise?
Every day, 4.5 million readers turn to 1440 for their factual news fix. We sift through 100+ sources to bring you a complete summary of politics, global events, business, and culture — all in a brief 5-minute email. No spin. No slant. Just clarity.
A Feel Good Place
A Modern Wine Experience with Historical Roots
The Inn at Grace Winery was a place that my wife and I came across because of a social media account that was promoting local attractions in the area, and it seemed like a romantic getaway my wife and I would like to try one day. When we finally took the opportunity to go, it quickly became something that we wanted to add to our roster of traditions, if only because of the grounds where it’s located.
The business operates on a farmstead that was established before the start of The Revolution, and that history remains in the details surrounding it. After more than 250 years, though, the current owners have incorporated quite a few modern amenities, which include a phenomenal restaurant, a winemaking business that creates some of the lightest, refreshing wines you can find in PA, and a pool where you can lounge during the summer or early fall to fend off the heat.
It’s a great place for a getaway, even if you’re not looking for an alcohol-focused retreat, which I cover in a little more detail on LinkedIn.
Something Read
THE BOOK OF LOST THINGS BY JOHN CONNOLLY
After David loses his mother to a protracted illness and his father remarries, the twelve year old boy finds himself in a old country mansion where he slips in an attic room surrounded by books. On recovery, David finds that he can hear the books whispering to him, and can even hear the voice of his mother calling to him from some unknown world. Then one night, as a German bomber comes crashing down beneath his window, David chooses to heed the voices and jumps into a garden patch which transports him to a world of woodsmen that battle werewolves in the forest, a sinister castle that hides a sleeping beauty calling to him with his mother’s voice, and a Crooked Man who needs David to give life to the evil that hides in men’s hearts.
For Casual Readers: The book will likely appeal to anyone who’s enjoys coming-of-age stories where children learn what it means to be a kind, compassionate adult. It also has a healthy dose of fairytales reworked for more modern understandings of morality, which can be refreshing to readers that enjoyed The Brother Grimm or Hans Christian Anderson growing up.
For Writers: The book offers a great template for updating traditional stories so that modern readers can both be introduced to the old stories if they haven’t read them before and find new joy in them if they are already familiar. However, it does oversimplify things at times when moral nuance may be necessary, so it’s worth exploring other texts as well if this is a story that you’re looking to emulate.
What Comes Next
Enjoyed this issue? Here’s what you can expect from the next newsletter:
A Reflection on Bureaucracy and the Changing Economy
A French Bakery that Taps into a Local Artist Community
A Book about Finding Identity as a Member of a Marginalized Community
As always, while this project may be a space where I share some of the things I have been thinking of, I also want to make sure it delivers value for you. So if you have feedback on what you would like to see, let me know and your recommendation may make it into the next issue.
