Why AI Leads to More Work, Not Less: The Expansion Paradox
The promise of AI was simple: do more with less. The reality is more complicated.
New evidence shows AI is expanding the scope and intensity of work rather than shrinking it. The reasons reveal something important about how AI changes work.
The Expansion Effect
AI enables users to take on more tasks. What once required specialists now fits within individual capabilities.
This creates several dynamics:
Task expansion. People tackle projects they wouldn't have attempted before. AI lowers barriers to entry.
Work/leisure boundaries blur. With AI assistance, "leisure" time becomes productive. The separation breaks down.
Parallel projects multiply. What once required dedicated teams now fits in individual workflows.
The Business Signal
Companies like Databricks reveal the pattern:
Growing by expanding usage and capabilities—not merely cutting costs.
This suggests AI's value isn't just efficiency. It's enablement. More work becomes possible.
The Organizational Impact
This has practical consequences:
Roles expand into non-engineering territory. Marketing does analysis. Sales builds tools. Traditional boundaries blur.
Task intensity increases. More work fits into the same time. Burnout becomes a risk.
Expectations shift. What counts as "reasonable workload" changes when AI assistance is available.
What This Means
The productivity paradox: AI makes more possible, so more gets attempted.
This isn't necessarily bad. It means AI enables ambition that constraints previously prevented.
But it does mean the "AI will reduce work" narrative was incomplete. AI changes work's nature, not just its volume.
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