Companies Capture Speed From AI But Miss ROI, Research Shows
Techstrong.ai, Wednesday, January 14th, 2026
Employees save up to seven hours weekly with artificial intelligence (AI), but organizations are squandering productivity gains on fixing errors rather than strategic work, according to new research from Workday Inc.
The study of 3,200 AI users in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific reveals a troubling 'productivity paradox.' While 85% of employees report saving between one and seven hours weekly using AI tools, nearly 40% of that value evaporates through rework and misalignment. Only 14% of workers consistently achieve clear, positive outcomes from AI use.
The heaviest AI users face the steepest challenges. Nine in 10 daily users overwhelmingly believe the technology will help them succeed, yet 77% say they must review AI-generated work as carefully as human output, or more so.