AI can save me time, but it can also give me more things to manage
I’ve started noticing something while using AI tools: saving time on one task doesn’t always mean I’m doing less work overall.
AI can write the draft, summarize the meeting, organize my thoughts, generate ideas, and even suggest what I should do next.
But then I have another question: what do I actually do with all of that output?
Sometimes I end up with five suggestions when I only needed one. Or a detailed summary that I still have to turn into an action plan. Or a polished draft that needs more editing than I expected.
It made me realize that I don’t necessarily want AI to produce more. I want it to help me make better decisions with less effort.
A few things I now look for:
Does it reduce decisions, or create more of them?
Can I trust the output without constantly double-checking it?
Does it understand the context behind the task?
Does it help me finish something, rather than just start it?
Am I actually saving time, or just moving the work around?
Has AI genuinely reduced your workload, or has it just changed what kind of work you’re doing?
Replies
I’ve noticed this too. Getting a first draft in seconds feels great until I have to review several versions and decide which one is actually worth using
@bradely_charlesbois meeting summaries are a good example. A transcript and summary are useful, but I still need clear owners and next actions before the meeting has actually produced anything.
my biggst test would be what happens to the last 20 percent of the task. That’s often where reviewing, choosing, correcting, and implementing all the AI output starts taking time again.
@saman_baloch Sometimes AI makes me more productive simply by reducing the mental effort of starting. Even if I still have to edit the result, getting past the blank page can be valuable.
The biggest test for me would be whether I can finish the task without opening another tool or starting another round of editing. How do you measure that kind of time saving?
I have started asking AI for one clear recommendation instead of five ideas. Way less mental load. Do you think tools should default to fewer outputs?
For me it has not reduced workload but changed it from writing to editing and deciding. Is that your experience too?
Fair! I’ve had the same thing with meeting notes, the summary looked clean but no one owned the next move. I now force a decision and owner into the output, otherwise it just shifts the review load. Do you use a simple rule for that?