Are we really using our time more meaningfully thanks to AI?
AI has undoubtedly made our work easier and faster.
An article that would have taken me several days before (defining the topic, doing research, interviewing experts for unique insights, validating data, and writing the final piece) can now be turned into a solid article in under two hours. (in my case, when I publish a weekly newsletter)
We can produce more, much faster, and still have plenty of time left over.
But how are you personally using that extra time?
Are you investing it productively?
I assume only a small percentage of people use it for new projects, learning, or building something meaningful. Most of us probably end up scrolling through reels instead.
I try to use AI for side projects that might help LinkedIn users, or I spend the extra time learning languages. Yet I still feel like I spend too much time in front of a computer.
Even though AI has accelerated almost all of my online work, I don't necessarily feel more productive.
What's your experience?
Replies
Using Claude code, I was able to complete the coding work that was originally planned for a whole day within an hour, followed by checking and validation. Recently, I've been working on 3 projects simultaneously, with multiple Claude code terminals running at the same time, to the point where I feel my computer is almost smoking. I'm already eager to verify whether my ideas align with the previous market research, and I've learned a lot from this. Moving forward, I'm heading towards the path of becoming an independent developer.
@genglin This is cool! Are you feeling burnt out? Or do you like the rush of the building process?
@blakeatvassant I mostly chat with AI during my commute and breaks. I mainly think about and review the AI's responses. So far, I don't feel exhausted, and I probably get unexpected gains most of the time.
There was no thrill in the construction process itself; with the assistance of artificial intelligence, I personally felt that the construction process became relatively less valuable.
minimalist phone: reduce your screentime
@genglin Wow, your brain is on steroids with AI (multiple things sorting out) :D
@busmark_w_nika Yes, I spend most of my time each day communicating with AI, producing Markdown documents, and then handing them over to Claude Code for implementation, generating scripts and products/projects to be implemented. This has improved my work and learning efficiency. Although it's tiring, I personally think it's worth it.
I can play more videogames or read fiction books :D Not productive, but recharging batteries and cheering up my mental health level sounds good to me
@sk_uxpin I would tag this as a benefit, especially the reading part to refuel your batteries :)
minimalist phone: reduce your screentime
@sk_uxpin I think that to some extent, it is okay to have a rest. But I hope you are not doing that for 8 hours :D
@busmark_w_nika hahaha, I wish I could have more spare time, but the sad reality is that I am still an active part of the process, so even if the LLMs are writing some code for me, I still need to point them into the right direction, and constantly monitor what they are doing :D
I’m not convinced AI is giving us more free time. Historically, every productivity tool promised leisure, yet most ended up increasing expectations.
Email didn’t reduce communication. We just started sending more messages.
PowerPoint didn’t reduce meetings. We created more presentations.
AI doesn’t seem to reduce work either. It raises the quality bar.
The article that took 3 days now takes 2 hours, but now people expect 10 articles, deeper research, custom visuals, SEO optimisation, multiple formats, and instant responses.
The paradox of productivity is that efficiency rarely buys leisure. It usually buys higher expectations.
minimalist phone: reduce your screentime
@surabhi_minocha IMO, it just helps us produce more but it doesn't mean that more is better too :D
@busmark_w_nika That’s the interesting part. We say 'more isn’t better' yet markets usually reward whoever delivers more, faster, and cheaper. Individually we might want less, but competitively we keep raising the bar for each other :(
Honestly this hits home. AI did free up time for me, but instead of scrolling I poured it back into building. I shipped a full product (iOS, Android, web) mostly with an AI coding agent in a few weeks, something that would have taken me months solo before. So in my case the extra time turned into actual output. But I get the trap. The same speed that lets you build also lets you doomscroll faster. It comes down to what you point it at.
minimalist phone: reduce your screentime
@erdembilgin this is slightly inspiring – to dive into another projects, you are not like many people. Special piece of person! :D :)
@busmark_w_nika appreciate it :) by the way, just looked at minimalist phone, clever concept. bit ironic I'd probably need it myself while building.
minimalist phone: reduce your screentime
@erdembilgin hahaha, thank you :)
For me, the biggest positive aspect is using that saved time to think more clearly, test ideas or learn something new but if I don't plan it intentionally, the time just disappears into more small tasks or scrolling.
minimalist phone: reduce your screentime
@busra_seker1 What new things have you learned thanks to AI? :)
@busmark_w_nika AI makes it easier to ask basic questions without feeling stuck I think. So I learn faster and test ideas more quickly and confidently. I've also used it for language learning. But I agree with the main point that AI gives you more access not automatically more disicpline.
@busmark_w_nika AI saved us time, but now the real question is what we do with that time.
I think most people are not becoming lazy because of AI; they are becoming distracted faster.
Being productive and feeling fulfilled are two different things. AI helps with speed, but meaning still depends on us.
minimalist phone: reduce your screentime
@vishal7017 okay, but what does it mean – how do you invest it? Building more units? Because at some point, the market can be oversaturated, people will lose interest (or just not have money for purchasing stuff). Overproduction with AI can leave us jobless. What can we do further?
I'd say if we let the AI do the learning for us, we waste more time trying to catch up with the material. It's here for a reference and fetching tool for your study material to be in one place, not doing the heavylifting for you.
minimalist phone: reduce your screentime
@zanc_zhao but let be honest how people became more comfy to do anything:D
I don't feel AI has played much part in boosting my productivity. It sure has made a few things easier than before, like tech troubleshooting, but in my role, most things require critical thinking and decision-making. I do use tools like Claude Code to build things that I couldn't have thought of doing before.
minimalist phone: reduce your screentime
@mona_mehta I mean, if a person wants, you can learn many interesting things. But not many people are like that, because thinking requires time and effort :D
@busmark_w_nika It requires effort for sure haha
Honestly, that guilt about screen time is real, but sometimes I need those reels to decompress. It's less about being productive every second and more about sustainable energy.
minimalist phone: reduce your screentime
@sastra_kasra Well, but scrolling became an 8-hour full-time job. 😅
I feel this too. AI saves time on the task, but it doesn’t automatically turn that saved time into something meaningful. Maybe the real challenge is not productivity anymore, but deciding what we want the extra time to become before it gets filled by more noise.
minimalist phone: reduce your screentime
@alpertayfurr Many people are comfy, they will spend time wasting it :D
@busmark_w_nika Haha true 😄 Comfort makes the saved time disappear very easily. I guess AI gives us the gap, but we still need some kind of intention or system to stop that gap from turning into more scrolling.