A diverse team of workers collaborates with AI interfaces in a bright, modern office.

AI's Productivity Boost: How Generative AI is Changing the Way We Work

Theo Raines in Tech & Innovation December 2025 • 4 min read.

"Discover how generative AI is reshaping the workplace, boosting productivity, and creating new opportunities for workers."

Artificial intelligence (AI) has moved from a futuristic concept to a tangible reality, rapidly permeating various sectors of our lives. While AI's potential has been heavily debated, a recent study offers compelling evidence of its transformative impact on the workplace, particularly with the advent of generative AI. This technology, capable of creating new content and solutions, is not just automating tasks; it's fundamentally changing how we work.

The study focuses on the introduction of a generative AI-based conversational assistant in a customer support setting. Access to AI assistance led to a remarkable 15% increase in worker productivity, measured by the number of issues resolved per hour. This surge in efficiency is just the tip of the iceberg, as the study reveals deeper, more nuanced changes in worker skills, job satisfaction, and the overall dynamics of the workplace.

The study's findings challenge conventional wisdom about technology's impact on employment. While previous waves of automation often favored highly skilled workers, generative AI appears to be leveling the playing field. This article explores the study's key insights, revealing how AI is empowering less experienced workers, fostering skill development, and improving the overall experience of work.

The Productivity Paradox: How AI Helps the Helpers

A diverse team of workers collaborates with AI interfaces in a bright, modern office.

The study's most striking finding is the disproportionate benefit that less experienced and lower-skilled workers derive from AI assistance. These workers experienced significant improvements in both the speed and quality of their output, resolving issues more quickly and effectively. This suggests that generative AI can effectively capture and disseminate the knowledge and behaviors of top-performing agents, making best practices accessible to all.

In contrast, the most experienced and highly skilled workers saw only marginal gains in speed and small declines in quality. This seemingly counterintuitive result may stem from several factors. Highly skilled workers may already be operating at peak efficiency, leaving less room for improvement. Additionally, AI recommendations might sometimes distract top performers from their own, potentially more innovative solutions.

Faster Issue Resolution: AI assistance reduces the time it takes to resolve customer issues.
Increased Multitasking: Agents can handle more chats simultaneously.
Improved Resolution Rates: A greater percentage of customer issues are successfully resolved.

This aspect of study aligns with earlier technical research, noting when algorithmic, AI, or automation is applied, there tends to be 'homogenization', the leveling of quality in any work task. Generative AI's benefit isn't limited to immediate productivity gains. The study also found evidence that AI assistance facilitates worker learning and improves English fluency, especially among international agents. By providing real-time suggestions and access to relevant information, AI acts as a personalized tutor, accelerating skill development and bridging language barriers.

The Future of Work: Augmentation, Not Replacement

The study's findings offer a hopeful vision for the future of work, one where AI augments human capabilities rather than replacing them altogether. By empowering less experienced workers and fostering skill development, generative AI can create a more equitable and productive workplace. However, the study also raises important questions about the long-term incentive challenges of AI adoption. How should workers be compensated for the data they provide to train AI systems? How can firms ensure that AI recommendations don't stifle innovation and creativity among top performers? Addressing these questions will be crucial to harnessing the full potential of generative AI and creating a future of work that benefits everyone.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2304.11771,

Title: Generative Ai At Work

Subject: econ.gn q-fin.ec q-fin.gn

Authors: Erik Brynjolfsson, Danielle Li, Lindsey Raymond

Published: 23-04-2023

Everything You Need To Know

What is generative AI, and how is it changing the workplace as discussed?

Generative AI is a type of artificial intelligence that creates new content and solutions. Within the context of the workplace, it's fundamentally altering how work is done. The study specifically highlights the introduction of a generative AI-based conversational assistant in a customer support setting. This technology assists workers, leading to increased productivity, skill development, and changes in job satisfaction and overall workplace dynamics. The technology is not just automating tasks; it's reshaping the work environment and leveling the playing field, particularly for less experienced workers.

How did the study measure the impact of generative AI on worker productivity?

The study quantified productivity by measuring the number of issues resolved per hour by workers using a generative AI-based conversational assistant. The results showed a remarkable 15% increase in productivity, demonstrating the technology's direct impact on efficiency. Furthermore, the study observed changes in worker skills, job satisfaction, and the overall dynamics of the workplace, offering a comprehensive view of AI's effects.

Why did less experienced workers benefit more from generative AI compared to highly skilled workers, according to the study?

The study revealed that less experienced and lower-skilled workers experienced disproportionately significant improvements in both speed and quality. This likely stems from Generative AI acting as a tool to disseminate knowledge and behaviors of top-performing agents. It makes best practices accessible to all, effectively leveling the playing field. For highly skilled workers, the gains were marginal, and in some cases, there were declines in quality. This may be because highly skilled workers already operate at peak efficiency, leaving little room for improvement. Also, the AI recommendations might sometimes distract top performers from their own innovative solutions.

Besides productivity gains, what other benefits did the study find related to generative AI in the workplace?

Beyond faster issue resolution, increased multitasking, and improved resolution rates, the study found that generative AI assistance facilitates worker learning, improving English fluency, especially among international agents. The AI acts as a personalized tutor, accelerating skill development and bridging language barriers. The study also noted that generative AI's benefit isn't limited to immediate productivity gains; it also contributes to a more equitable and productive workplace by empowering less experienced workers and fostering skill development.

What are some of the challenges and considerations for the future of work with generative AI?

While the study presents a hopeful vision, it raises important questions about the long-term implications of generative AI adoption. One key consideration is how workers should be compensated for the data they provide to train AI systems. Another is how firms can ensure AI recommendations don't stifle innovation and creativity among top performers. Addressing these challenges will be crucial to harnessing the full potential of generative AI and creating a future of work that benefits everyone. The future of work, as envisioned by the study, is one where AI augments human capabilities rather than replacing them.