Amazon Employees Say AI Is Increasing Their Workload, Study Confirms It

Harvard research finds mandatory AI tools slow productivity and increase burnout across tech workplaces.

Mar. 13, 2026 at 3:49pm

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Amazon employees have long complained that the company's mandatory AI tools create more work, not less. A new Harvard Business Review study has now confirmed their concerns, finding that AI availability leads to longer hours, fewer breaks, and cognitive burnout across tech workplaces. The research shows the time saved on individual tasks is immediately consumed by expanded expectations, with emails, messaging, and business tool usage all surging.

Why it matters

This pattern reflects a broader issue in corporate America, where technology often prioritizes profit margins over worker wellbeing. The study suggests that until AI adoption prioritizes human outcomes over quarterly metrics, workers will continue to absorb the hidden costs of productivity promises.

The details

Amazon's software developers told The Guardian that mandatory AI adoption actually hurt their workflow, with tools so buggy they require constant manual corrections and colleague consultations. Harvard researchers tracked 40 tech workers for eight months and found AI didn't reduce workload—it redistributed it into evenings, weekends, and lunch breaks. Workers reported cognitive fatigue from constant task-switching and decision-making about when to use AI assistance. ActivTrak's broader analysis of 163,000 employees confirmed the pattern, with emails increasing 104%, messaging jumping 145%, and business tool usage surging 94%.

  • The Harvard Business Review study was published on March 13, 2026.

The players

Annemarije de Boer

A Los Angeles-based director and visual storyteller specializing in technology reviews and digital innovation journalism.

Amazon

An American multinational technology company that focuses on e-commerce, cloud computing, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence.

Harvard Business Review

A general management magazine published by Harvard Business Publishing, a wholly owned subsidiary of Harvard University.

ActivTrak

A workforce analytics and productivity management software company.

Mo Gawdat

A former Google executive who identified the issue of technology amplifying existing human values, such as profit pursuit over worker welfare.

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What they’re saying

“I and many of my colleagues don't feel that it actually makes us that much faster.”

— Amazon developer (The Guardian)

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing tension between corporate efficiency goals and worker wellbeing, with technology often being used to prioritize profits over human outcomes. Until AI adoption and implementation is redesigned to truly benefit workers, employees will continue to bear the hidden costs of productivity-boosting tools.