AI should lighten the workload. So why doesn't it feel that way?

AI should lighten the workload. So why doesn't it feel that way?

From Bots & Bosses (english) by Dominic von Proeck

February 15, 2026 · 7 min · Episode 141

About this episode

This episode discusses how AI can increase workload instead of reducing it and offers three team rules to manage this issue.

AI makes output cheap — and still increases the workload if your system can’t handle the new speed. This episode is about “workload creep”: how AI quietly creates more work, and what you can do right away with three simple team rules to stop it. - Why AI often doesn’t reduce work, but instead boosts task expansion, ambient work, and multitasking - The core mistake: “create faster” gets confused with “less work” — without clear stop points, work simply grows back - Three AI practice rules for real relief: Intentional Pause, Sequencing, Human Grounding - A guardrail for leaders: AI doesn’t save work, AI saves friction — and for that you need new rules, ownership, and stop signals More info at: . And here’s our newsletter: **Sources** - [Harvard Business Review (2026): _AI Doesn’t Reduce Work—It Intensifies It_](https://hbr.org/2026/02/ai-doesnt-reduce-work-it-intensifies-it) - [Upwork Investors: “Upwork Study Finds Employee Workloads Rising…”](https://investors.upwork.com/news-releases/news-release-details/upwork-study-finds-employee-workloads-rising-despite-increased-c) - [Microsoft WorkLab: “Breaking down the infinite…

People in this episode

Host: Dominic von Proeck

Topics covered

  • AI workload
  • workload creep
  • task expansion
  • multitasking
  • team rules
  • productivity

Keywords

  • AI
  • workload
  • productivity
  • multitasking
  • team rules
  • ambient work

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Harvard Business Review, Upwork, Microsoft

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