Artificial intelligence (AI) is taking over routine tasks, boosting productivity, and allowing employees to focus on more interesting and strategic projects. And that is just the start: The McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) estimates that in the next five years, 57% of U.S. work hours could be automated with existing technology.
That is the “AI time dividend”—in theory. In practice, it has proved difficult to cash it in. One factor is that AI adoption is highly uneven. Some people are not using any AI tools; others are using them to save double‑digit hours a week. A second factor is that AI’s potential is not being fully realized. A recent survey of CEOs and senior executives found that while AI saved an average of 5.7 hours per employee per week, only 1.7 of those hours were redirected to work that improved business outcomes.
