How is your team spending the time saved by Gen AI?

The article "How Is Your Team Spending the Time Saved by Gen AI?" from the March–April 2025 issue of Harvard Business Review explores how generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Copilot are transforming workplace productivity. According to a 2023 MIT study, these tools help employees complete tasks up to 56% faster, particularly in technical jobs such as coding.

Despite these gains, a study by MIT Sloan, Microsoft Research, and GitHub found that many employees do not use their saved time effectively. Surveys conducted by the University of Lausanne in early 2024 revealed that while generative AI saved managers an average of nearly three hours per week, 36% of them wasted more than half of this time. Similarly, 83% of general AI users admitted to wasting at least a quarter of their saved time.

The article suggests several strategies for managers to optimise the use of time saved by AI. First, managers should be strategic in tracking time savings, starting with small pilot groups to gather data. Employees should log their time savings daily, using either self-reporting methods or productivity-tracking software like Harvest and ActivTrak.

Once time savings are quantified, managers should develop a blueprint for reallocating this time towards activities that enhance well-being, productivity, and personal growth. This could include encouraging employees to recharge, tackle new challenges, or engage in strategic projects. Regular monitoring and feedback are essential to ensure that time is used effectively.

The article also includes insights from Travis Muhlestein, Chief Data and Analytics Officer at GoDaddy, who emphasises the importance of using AI to streamline tasks and improve customer service. He advocates for A/B testing productivity before and after AI implementation to validate time savings and develop guidelines for effective time use.

Overall, the article highlights the need for deliberate and intentional management of time savings to ensure that AI-driven efficiency leads to meaningful workplace improvements.