Source: Perspectives
The productivity gains from AI tools aren't translating into actual leisure or reduced workload—they're compressing timelines and raising output expectations, creating a treadmill where workers feel forced to do more just to stay competitive. This mirrors previous technology waves (email, smartphones) but with a difference: AI's ability to handle cognitive work makes it harder to argue you need fewer hours when the tools suggest you should produce more. The consumer friction isn't about learning new software; it's about whether knowledge workers can collectively resist the expectation that efficiency equals expansion rather than restoration.