AI brain fry: Why the productivity boom is burning us out

Artificial intelligence was supposed to make work easier, but for many Australians, it had the opposite effect, with workers reporting growing stress as they struggled to keep pace with rapidly evolving technology, changing workplace expectations, and the constant pressure to adapt.

New research from people2people Recruitment found that three in five Australians said AI had made their job more stressful, while 32 per cent felt overwhelmed by the need to continuously learn new tools and skills.

Workers also reported concerns about making mistakes when using AI, keeping up with the volume of AI developments, and navigating an increasingly crowded landscape of workplace technologies.

The term “AI brain fry” refers to a state of acute cognitive fatigue and decision fatigue caused by the intensive use, management, or oversight of AI tools like ChatGPT.

Instead of easing workloads, studies have shown that heavy AI usage frequently overwhelms the natural working memory and attention spans of workers.

Suhini Wijayasinghe, head of HR solutions at people2people Recruitment, said: “Everyone talks about the productivity benefits of AI, but we’re now starting to see the human impact emerge.”

“Employees are being asked to learn new tools, adapt to changing processes, and understand rapidly evolving technology while still delivering on their day-to-day responsibilities. For many workers, that constant pressure is becoming overwhelming.”

The findings suggested a new form of workplace fatigue was emerging as employees faced relentless change. Learning pressure was identified as the biggest contributor to AI-related stress, with workers reporting what many described as “AI overload”.

“Workers aren’t necessarily resisting the technology; they’re exhausted by the pace of change. Many feel like they’re expected to become AI experts overnight, and that’s creating significant anxiety,” Wijayasinghe said.

As per an Australian Financial Review report, a respondent in a Boston Consulting study said it can feel like “having a dozen browser tabs open in my head, all fighting for attention”.

AI supervision is also producing more subtle cognitive strain that can affect focus and decision making.

This showcased that the pressures suggest AI is increasingly being reframed as a workplace psychosocial risk, rather than just a productivity tool.

Beyond just the pressures of implementing AI and adapting to the technology as a whole, workers ultimately expressed concerns about long-term job prospects as a result of AI replacing them.

Fifty-one per cent said they were worried AI could eventually replace jobs, making job security a dominant concern associated with the technology.

The research also found that workers were increasingly worried about broader workplace risks associated with AI, including misinformation, declining creativity and critical thinking, and the potential for burnout.

“AI is creating opportunities, but it’s also creating new pressures that many organisations haven’t fully recognised,” Wijayasinghe said.

“If employees don’t trust the information AI produces, worry about job security, and feel overwhelmed by constant change, those concerns can quickly impact engagement, wellbeing and productivity.”

As previously reported, AI has caused a growing skills mismatch in the Australian workforce. Employers are struggling to find workers who can effectively use AI tools, even as these tools become widespread in workplaces.

“Businesses have invested heavily in AI tools, but they now need to invest equally in helping employees use them effectively,” Wijayasinghe said.

“The organisations that succeed will be the ones that build confidence rather than fear and provide employees with the skills and support they need to navigate this change.”

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