The range of AI tools is constantly growing, as are the possible uses. Even at work. A new study now shows that 19.3 percent of employees in the HR sector suffer from AI-induced “brain fry”, especially when three or more AI tools are used in parallel. “AI Brain Fry” is the name given to an exhaustion phenomenon studied by researchers at the Boston Consulting Group. Symptoms include headaches, mental fog, and slower decision-making. For the study, 1,488 full-time employees from large US companies were surveyed across industries. Central finding: According to the authors, if three tools are used in parallel, productivity decreases – at the same time, the risk of mental overload increases.
HR is particularly at risk
Of the 1,488 respondents, a total of 14 percent said they experience “AI brain fry” while working. The marketing industry is the most affected, at 25.9 percent. This is followed by human resources at 19.3 percent. Operations is in third place with 18 percent.
The researchers see this development as just the beginning. The way many people work will continue to change with the increasing use of different AI tools. In the future, many people’s work will involve checking prompts. Verifying results is also becoming increasingly relevant. At first glance, the initially increased productivity creates more space for additional tasks. But even if the tasks are easier to complete with the help of AI, the ever-increasing mountain of tasks leads to cognitive overload.
Where productivity reaches its limits
In principle, AI tools can demonstrably increase employee productivity. However, the current study provides evidence of a possible limit. A key finding of the study is that using three or more AI tools in parallel forms the critical limit where productivity declines and the risk of exhaustion increases. Matthew Kropp, one of the lead authors and managing director and senior partner at Boston Consulting Group, told Business Insider that he sees the study as a kind of early warning system. The study states: “Companies incentivize employees to build and lead complex teams of agents.” However, the consequences of this are contrary. “Despite the promise of having more time for meaningful work, juggling and multitasking can become defining characteristics of working with AI.”
Accordingly, companies should establish guidelines that protect employees from digital overload when using AI. The pressure to use AI to the same extent and professionally as agent engineers is pushing many employees to their cognitive limits. The authors of the study advocate that tasks, work processes and tools be holistically redesigned in order to strengthen the responsible use of AI. Therefore, they recommend setting clear expectations for AI and workload. Companies should also develop skills to handle AI workloads and strategically use human attention as a limited resource.
Tonia Schöler is a volunteer at Human Resources.
