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
Surabhi’s point is important . Productivity tools rarely create leisure . They usually reset expectations and redefine what counts as “enough.”
minimalist phone: reduce your screentime
@gabriel_brooks1 So basically, it can redefine priorities.
The real luxury today might not be productivity anymore . It might be protecting uninterrupted offline despite having tools that can accelerate everything.
minimalist phone: reduce your screentime
@geoffrey_reed for my mental peace, being offline is the way to go :D
AI made me faster but not necessarily more productive. I can research and draft content in a fraction of the time now, but I noticed something weird: the time I "saved" just got filled with more tasks, not better rest or deeper thinking. It's like Parkinson's law but for AI. The work expands to fill the time you freed up.
However, AI is not something that always guarantee quality and that's why the human role for auditing and checking is still important for me
minimalist phone: reduce your screentime
@nolan_vu I realised the fact of AI is not always correct when it messed up some texts for my clients :D
@busmark_w_nika it's true, almost every AI platform states that AI content may not accurate all the time. So now our role is more like auditor as we have to verify and check the valid of the info before publishing
minimalist phone: reduce your screentime
@nolan_vu And you still need to have that skill to write properly so you can know how to manage it.
@busmark_w_nika exactly, so we all still need to learn and upgrade our skills regularly even when AI can manage the majority of automation tasks for us.
minimalist phone: reduce your screentime
@arthen_factory I am just thinking what the overproduction and jobless market can do about certain obstacles, because it is not very sustainable longterm. :D
Warren Buffett famously said that U.S. productivity has always increased at a fast rate, enabling a higher "output" per unit time. Said differently, innovations such as AI are simply a way for us to get more done, faster. So project timelines shorten and ideas are executed in weeks not months.
I'm of the opinion this actually is not necessarily a great thing, because people are more likely to ship products and content of lower quality, leading to oversaturation. Fewer ideas can gain visibility and traction.
I personally feel I am able to get more done with it though, it just takes the user to ask the right questions before applying it to their current problem. The "extra" time left over really varies by person and product though.
minimalist phone: reduce your screentime
@blakeatvassant The most crucial part is how many people are willing to consume when they are fed up of something :D
I feel more productive. Moved my major project to all AI development. The side project is already heavily AI-handled. Saving time from development, opens time for development of other things.
From that perspective, I am more productive. The question is how far I can go?
I guess, at some point, we might get burn outs quicker than before the AI.
I think we got more productive, but I am wondering, can our brains really handle that speed and data processing levels, long-term? Even with one project
And if you stop to take a rest, what will you actually do?
minimalist phone: reduce your screentime
@stoyan_minchev I am afraid once I will stop watching trends, I will not be able to get back on track :D
Thanks to ChatGPT and later Claude, I was able to write code, design product logic, connect webhooks, and work with the database. Things I couldn't have done alone before or that would have taken me years.
Where I used to rely on expensive SEO tools or spend huge amounts of time to save budget, with AI I built my own product. Years of experience, my own thinking, my strategy - it's all inside, and at a fraction of the cost. It's called IvaBot, and I'm actually launching it on Product Hunt tomorrow morning.
Also, I'm learning my fourth language with AI. Not perfect, but conversation practice is the missing piece and AI replaces the people who aren't always patient enough to wait for my growth.
I think the trap is that AI saves task time, but it doesn’t automatically protect attention.
For writing work, the useful shift for me is moving the saved time upstream or downstream: better source gathering before drafting, sharper review after drafting, or talking to more users. If the saved time just becomes “produce three more versions,” it often feels faster but not more meaningful.
So I’d measure it less as hours saved and more as: did the work get more grounded, did the decision get better, or did I actually stop working sooner?
minimalist phone: reduce your screentime
@jim_jeffers Anyway, that time is still important, e.g. how quality you can spend it after that. Because I feel like we have more time, but we waste it at the same time :D
@busmark_w_nika Exactly — the time has value, but only if it gets claimed before the next default activity fills it. I think AI creates a gap, not an outcome. For writing/content teams especially, I’d make the “extra time” explicit: one block for better inputs, one for review, or one for being offline. Otherwise the saved hour quietly becomes more tabs, more drafts, and the same tired brain.