Study: Nearly 1 in 2 Americans Take On More Work with the Time AI Saves Them

Artificial intelligence (AI) has grown a great deal in popularity in recent years. One of the biggest areas of growth has come from companies around the world who are turning to the technology to quicken workflows, improve creativity, and more.

With this shift, there have been many promises of lightened workloads, but we at Solitaired were curious whether these AI users were actually gaining free time—and whether they were spending any of it unwinding with activities like playing Spider Solitaire. To learn more, we surveyed Americans who use AI tools multiple times a week about their experiences.

We asked a variety of questions including how their AI usage has increased in recent years, how much time the tools save them in a typical day, how they are spending this new free time, how their productivity has been affected by the AI tools, and more. Read on to learn more about our findings.

Key Takeaways

• 70% of workers who use AI on the job are on it at least a few times a day, and 14% say they use it all day, every day.
• AI reliance is still climbing fast: 91% of workers say their AI use grew over the past year, and 58% say it increased "a lot" or "dramatically."
• 96% of workers say AI saves them time, and 64% say it saves them at least a full extra day's worth of work every day.
• Nearly 1 in 2 Americans say they take on more work with the time AI saves them.
• Nearly 1 in 4 Americans say since they started using AI at work, their total workload has increased.
• 2 in 5 workers have deliberately kept quiet about how much time AI saves them so their employer won't pile on more work.
• Nearly 1 in 3 workers say their job now feels more like managing AI than actually doing the work.

Workers Are All In on AI

The people we surveyed aren't casual users, with 70% reaching for AI tools at least a few times a day and 14% saying they're on them all day, every day. This isn’t a new shift either, as nearly 3 in 5 (58%) have been working this way for more than a year.

We found that reliance is still climbing as 91% report their AI use went up over the past year, and 58% say it increased "a lot" or "dramatically." The payoff, at least on paper, is real. Nearly every worker we surveyed (96%) says AI saves them time on the job, and 4 in 10 say it lets them get a week or more of work done in a single day.

If you assumed remote workers would be running away with those gains, the data says otherwise. In-person (39%), hybrid (41%), and remote workers (39%) reported getting a week's work done in a day at nearly identical rates. Wherever you sit, the time is showing up. The interesting question is where it goes.

Where the Saved Time Actually Goes

After learning how much time these tools free up, we wanted to know where it lands. The answer is a little deflating: mostly right back into work. Overall, nearly 1 in 2 workers say they use the time AI saves them to take on more work, the top answer by a wide margin.

After that comes deeper, more creative, or more strategic work (40%). For more than a third of workers, the extra time is spent working at a slower and more comfortable pace, and 34% spend it reviewing and fixing AI's output.

Only about a third (32%) use the time to finish the workday early, and 27% spend it on personal things during work hours. Nearly 1 in 4 people report the time is spent attending more meetings and responding to additional messages, while 7% do their best to look busy to avoid more work being piled on.

We also asked how much of that saved time goes toward specific ends, and the split is lopsided. Nearly 2 in 5 say a lot or all of it goes to simply doing more of the same work, more than double the 16% who say that much goes toward leisure and relaxation.

The picture doesn't get much sunnier when we asked what AI has given workers more time for. Learning new skills topped the list (50%), followed by creative work (39%) and deep, focused work on one thing (39%). Taking real breaks landed far lower at 29%, and nearly 1 in 6 said AI hasn't freed up time for anything.

Many Americans Admit They Hide Free Time AI Provides

Once we saw that the most common use of saved time is more work, it made sense that plenty of workers would rather their boss not know about it. Overall, we found 2 in 5 workers have deliberately kept quiet about how much time AI saves them, specifically so their employer wouldn't pile on more.

The heaviest users hide it the most as 47% of workers who use AI all day, every day have concealed their time savings. This is compared with 30% of those who only use it a few times a week. Younger workers are the most guarded, too, with nearly 1 in 2 Gen Zers reporting they have kept quiet, versus 32% of Gen Xers.

The same instinct shows up elsewhere in the workday as 39% say they feel like they have to look busy at work even after AI has finished their tasks, and that also peaks with under-30s at 49%.

A Look Inside the Tasks AI Is Adding to Americans’ Workload

To be fair, AI does clear things off the plate with 59% of workers reporting it has entirely absorbed summarizing meetings and documents, and 51% say the same about research. But it hands work back, too.

Nearly 2 in 3 workers now spend time fact-checking AI, and 61% review and edit its output. Half (51%) spend time learning new AI tools, and 45% write and rewrite prompts. Only 1% say AI hasn't added anything new to their plate.

All of that churn is changing how the day feels as 60% say the pace of their workday has gotten faster since AI arrived. Similarly, nearly 2 in 5 say their employer expects more output than before, and 29% say they simply feel busier. Nearly 3 in 10 say their job now feels more like managing AI than actually doing the work.

There's a bright spot in the middle of it, however, as 64% say they have more time to think than they did before AI. What most of them don't have is more money. We found that 65% of workers say they don't earn any more despite the productivity boost, and only 8% earn a lot more.

How Workers Are Responding to the Fear of AI Replacing Them

Underneath all of this is a quieter worry, with 28% of workers reporting they are at least somewhat worried AI could replace their job within the next two years. This percentage climbs to 38% when we stretch the window to five years, with 12% saying they're very worried.

That anxiety isn't spread evenly, however, as 44% of Gen Zers worry AI will replace them within five years, compared with 34% of Gen Xers. By industry, professional services (53%), finance (50%), and technology workers (49%) are the most concerned, while construction (19%) and education (19%) workers are the least.

For some Americans, this worry has turned to action as 38% share they’ve learned new skills on their own time because of AI job insecurity. Similarly, 29% have started a side income or backup plan, and 19% have made themselves more visible to leadership. Smaller groups have looked for a new job (13%), considered changing careers entirely (13%), worked longer hours (10%), or turned down or delayed time off (7%).

It also keeps people glued to their desks. Workers who are worried about AI are about five times more likely to have worked longer hours (20% versus 4%) and three times more likely to have turned down or delayed time off (13% versus 4%) than workers who aren't worried.

You can hear the pressure in how workers describe their jobs, too. More than 2 in 5 people say they work harder now just to prove they're still valuable. Additionally, 30% feel pressure to use AI even when they'd rather not, and nearly 1 in 4 say they'd feel safer in their job if they used AI less. Only 29% say their employer has been clear about how AI will affect jobs where they work.

Disconnect from AI with a Quick Game

Whether you consider AI to be a helpful or harmful tool at work, everyone can benefit from a short intermission from time to time. By disconnecting from your work briefly, you can give your brain a break from mundane tasks and engage in an activity that helps you unwind while also exercising your brain.

At Solitaired, we provide a variety of free, online games to support this disconnection. From Canfield and Yukon to FreeCell and Yahtzee, you are sure to find a game that provides the quick break you need from work. After a few minutes of gaming, you’ll feel refreshed and ready to tackle any task AI adds to your to-do list.

Methodology

In this study, we set out to learn whether AI is actually freeing up time at work or simply reshaping the workday. To do this, we surveyed 945 full-time employees who use AI tools frequently on the job and asked a variety of questions including how much time AI saves them, what they do with that time, how their workload and pace have changed, whether their pay has kept up, and how they feel about AI and their job security, and more.