A study entitled 'AI and the Extended Workday: Productivity, Contractual Efficiency, and Rent Distribution', spearheaded by Wei Jiang, a finance professor at Emory University, has revealed a counterintuitive finding: the widespread adoption of AI technology has not led to a reduction in employees' working hours. On the contrary, it has spurred an increase in work hours and a corresponding decrease in leisure time.

Drawing on data from the American Time Use Survey (ATUS), the study delved into the impact of generative AI on professional workers post its introduction. The findings indicated that as employees' exposure to generative AI grew, their average weekly working hours climbed by approximately 3.15 to 3.5 hours, while their leisure time dwindled by around 3.2 hours.

The productivity boosts brought about by AI have predominantly benefited business owners and consumers. Employees, however, with their limited bargaining power, have seen a decline in job satisfaction. In certain professions where AI serves as a strong complement, employees are working even longer hours. Nevertheless, the majority of employees believe that AI tools can enhance their productivity and motivation at work.

This study offers crucial insights into understanding the dynamic interplay between AI and the future labor market.