Workers say AI promised a productivity boost, but left them missing pre-AI office life

A new workplace survey suggests the "pre-AI" office is already becoming something many employees miss, as workers say artificial intelligence has made their jobs more frustrating, more repetitive, and less meaningful.

What happened?

Reporting on findings from professional services company Adaptavist, Futurism said many office employees are already nostalgic for the workplace before AI became commonplace.

In Adaptavist's survey of office workers, nearly two-thirds of respondents said they miss the way work felt before AI became part of their regular routines. More than a third said they would remove generative AI entirely if they could, and 36% said they still do not understand why the technology is being pushed on them.

Those responses cast doubt on AI's reputation as a straightforward productivity booster.

Project slowdowns were a common complaint, with 49% saying poor AI output drags work down and 42% saying reviewing that output takes longer than the amount of time the tool saves.

Beyond efficiency concerns, workers also reported a creative and emotional toll. Nearly half said AI is making work feel more monotonous and less worthwhile.

Why does it matter?

The findings run counter to one of the biggest promises behind the AI boom: that the technology would free workers to focus on more valuable tasks.

If employees are instead spending their time reviewing errors, rewriting robotic text, or learning prompt tactics that were never part of their jobs, AI may be adding stress rather than easing it.

The survey also pointed to a deeper anxiety in many workplaces.

More than half of respondents — 54% — said they worry that AI may put their roles at risk within the next five years. With that kind of uncertainty lingering, it can hurt morale, weaken trust, and make workers less willing to embrace new systems.

There is also a broader climate and infrastructure concern tied to AI's rapid growth. Concerns about misuse, security, and unreliable outputs only add to the complexity, making AI's impact far more complicated than a simple productivity upgrade.

What's being done?

Companies may need to be more deliberate in how they roll out AI.

Rather than forcing it into every task, employers can focus on areas where the technology genuinely helps while keeping humans in control of final decisions and quality checks.

Workers need to know when AI use is required or when it is optional, when verification is required, and who is responsible when systems inevitably get something wrong. While better training may help to reduce confusion, it alone will not fix weak tools or unrealistic demands.

For employees, one of the most practical steps may be setting boundaries and documenting where AI actually saves time versus where it creates extra work.

That could help teams make smarter choices about what is worth automating and what still requires human judgment or creativity.

Adaptavist's report said: "Without clear guardrails, accountability, and alignment, the promise of AI efficiency risks being offset by a growing burden on the very people it is designed to support."

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