Upwork: Highly productive AI employees are more likely to be burnt out

Trust is imperative to the success of any organization – but as AI is becoming more integrated in the modern-day workplace, is it starting to hold more value than human colleagues? 

According to Upwork’s study From Tools to Teammates: Navigating the New Human-AI Relationship, 64% of full-time employees who report the highest productivity gains from AI say they have a better relationship with AI than with their human colleagues. The survey included 2,500 global workers and C-suite executives

Additionally, more than two-thirds of high-performing AI users admitted to trusting AI more than their co-workers. 

High-performing AI users state that this is because “AI is more polite and empathetic” than their colleagues, causing them to re-evaluate what “teamwork” looks like.

To discover how this is impacting the workplace, UNLEASH spoke exclusively to Dr. Gabby Burlacu, Senior Research Manager at the Upwork Research Institute. 

The pros and cons of AI’s productivity boosts

AI has generated a 40% increase in productivity, which is largely down to employees having the time to experiment with the tool (30%), continued product enhancements (25%), self-directed upskilling (22%), and employer-supported training (22%). 

As a result, more than three-quarters (77%) of C-suite leaders report noticing these productivity gains.

However, 88% of employees who experience a productivity gain through AI also state that they are burnout.

This has caused many to feel disconnected, with 62% unable to see how the daily use of AI aligns with their company goal. As a result, these employees were found to be more likely to quiet quit than less productive workers who do not use AI regularly. 

“AI is delivering real productivity gains, but our research reveals a more complex picture under the surface,” Dr Burlacu explains.

We found that workers who are highly productive with AI are also the most likely to report signs of burnout and disconnection. This tells us that the conversation can’t stop at efficiency.”

As a result, Dr Burlacu urges leaders to “rethink” how teams and metrics are designed for success in an AI-augmented environment. 

She continues: “Productivity and wellbeing can’t be treated as trade-offs. Organizations that thrive in this new era will be the ones that take a more holistic approach to AI adoption, one that prioritizes sustainable performance and human connection.”

Dr Burlacu continues to explain how AI is helping freelancers thrive, with nine in 10 reporting that the technology has had a positive impact on their work and 90% saying it helps them learn new skills.

“One area we’re watching closely is how freelancers are adapting to AI,” Dr Burlacu shares. “Many are using it to augment their skill sets and manage their workloads more effectively, often with greater autonomy and flexibility than traditional employees.

There’s an opportunity here to learn from these independent professionals, who may be better positioned to define their own pace, boundaries, and tools for working productively with AI.”