AI Tools Led 200 Employees to Work Faster, Broader Tasks and Longer Hours
A UC Berkeley eight-month study of 200 tech employees granted enterprise generative AI tools found that adopters worked at a faster pace, took on a broader scope of tasks and logged longer hours. Last year, about 70,000 of 244,851 global tech layoffs, roughly 30%, were AI-related.
1. Study Design
Researchers at UC Berkeley conducted an eight-month trial at a U.S.-based tech firm with approximately 200 employees, giving them free access to enterprise generative AI tools to assess impacts on productivity and work habits.
2. Findings on Work Habits
Employees using the AI tools increased their work pace, accepted a wider array of responsibilities and often extended their hours, frequently without explicit requests from management.
3. Tech Layoffs Linked to AI
In 2025, global tech sector layoffs totaled 244,851, with nearly 70,000 positions—around 30%—attributed to AI-driven restructuring and efficiency initiatives.
4. Implications for Enterprise AI Adoption
These results signal that aggressive AI integration by companies like Microsoft may boost output but risk employee burnout, necessitating careful change management and user support.