Can AI help employees be happier at work?
Summary
Automating repetitive tasks frees up time for employees to do more with their lives outside the office, improving work life balanceI can’t imagine my work life without AI," says Pratik Joshi, 24, a marketing professional at an advertising firm in Mumbai. “It helps me plan my to-do list, my projects, my work meetings, even when I should take a break."
There are two reasons Joshi likes to stick to a daily schedule made by artificial intelligence: It helps him stay more “efficient" at work, and also have some free time during the day to go to the gym or pursue other interests like skateboarding—all things that he believes have helped him strike a better work-life balance. “This is my first job and I want to give my best, but I am not going to compromise on other aspects of my life. I give ChatGPT my prompts and it plans my days better than I could perhaps do it by myself," says Joshi, who, besides ChatGPT, also uses FeedHive to plan his social media profile (he plans to become a full-time content creator eventually). “Plus, it helps refine my work; my presentations are better, I feel."
It’s been a while since AI arrived in the workplace and the world started debating whether it would replace people’s jobs. The debate continues, but the conversation has now steered towards how individuals can best utilise AI tools to make their life easier—and, possibly, happier.
A survey by tech company HP last year concluded that workers who use AI are happier with their relationship with work compared to those who don’t. The HP Work Relationship Index, a comprehensive study that explored the world’s relationship with work and included interviews with 15,600 respondents across industries in 12 countries, said, “AI usage among knowledge workers (essentially trained people who use theory and analysis to deliver products and services for their employers) has surged to 66% in 2024, up from 38% last year. Workers who use AI are seeing the benefits, including a healthier relationship with work."
The highlights of the study included that 73% of the respondents felt AI made their jobs easier, 60% stated that AI played a key role in improving their work-life balance, and 68% said AI opened up new opportunities for them to enjoy work and stay happy both at work and outside too—something that Joshi also believes.
So does Shikha Sudan, 31, a content manager at a Bengaluru-based startup. Before she started using AI for work, she used to spend most of her working hours on research for various clients’ projects. When it came to actually putting together the required content, she would finish it in a couple of hours. “It was not that I was doing a bad job; it was a rushed job to meet the deadline," says Sudan.
Today, Sudan takes the help of AI tools to collate information before she starts writing. “This gives me enough time to think of ways to present my content better. I am more creatively satisfied today," she says. The added benefit is the free time she gets to spend on herself.
Both Joshi and Sudan are mindful of not being completely dependent on AI when it comes to organising their work life. “It’s a tool that helps you function better," insists Joshi. “It’s a simple equation, when you have a good work-life balance, when you feel in control of your life, you are a happier person."
Striking a Balance
Like Joshi and Sudan, workers across the world are relying more on AI, also because organisations are encouraging its use. Deloitte, for instance, has an internal AI chatbot, PairD. The tool blends AI with human capabilities to unlock insights while protecting proprietary data. It simultaneously helps employees automate daily tasks, including handling of contracts and other administrative work. Walmart has also introduced a generative AI-powered tool, My Assistant, as part of the company’s employee app to support workers in draft writing, thinking of creative strategies or to summarise lengthy documents. Indian companies like Wipro and Genpact are also partnering with universities to create personalised programmes for AI training.
The Randstad AI and Equity Report 2024 showed that seven in 10 employees in India used some form of AI for work last year. The findings were based on a survey of 1,000 employees.
A recent global study by Emeritus, an educational institution that offers professional certificates and senior executive programmes, found that Indian professionals are at the forefront of the global AI adoption curve.
As per the study, which surveyed over 6,000 respondents in the 21-65 age group, 91% of employees in India are using AI and generative AI tools, as compared to 81% in the US and 84% in the UK. Like the HP study, it also concluded that people who use AI generally have higher productivity levels.
Could AI be the solution to workplace blues in the long run?
“While AI is not replacing human roles, it is significantly reducing the cognitive load associated with mundane activities," says Rishi Aggarwal, managing director at Indian conglomerate, JCBL Group. “This shift enables employees to engage in more strategic thinking, problem-solving, and creative initiatives, leading to greater job satisfaction and fulfilment. When employees spend more time on meaningful work, they experience a stronger sense of purpose, ultimately driving both organisational and personal growth."
In other words, there’s no direct link between AI and workplace happiness. The answer depends on how well employees integrate it into their roles—and this can be addressed through training.
“AI needs to be implemented systematically by organisations to achieve balance, leading to improved employee well-being," says Mayura Nagar, assistant professor (data sciences and technology department), KJ Somaiya Institute of Management, Mumbai. “Having more control over their schedules, employees experience greater autonomy and decreased stress while enjoying more growth potential."
Seamless adoption of AI and similar tools happens when employees understand the “how" and “why" behind its use, says Anuj Sawhney, managing director at Swiss Military, a a global lifestyle and utility accessories brand. Teams across departments are involved in selecting technologies that address some of their difficulties, like data mining.
“As a company, we are known for addressing the demand vacuum," Sawhney says. “Until AI was there, data mining for this was tedious."
The Ethics of it
With ethical considerations around AI and its misuse, it’s also important for companies to establish a framework where the technology serves as an enabler rather than something that sets back an employee. At the same time, the key is to ensure that it remains a tool for assistance rather than making decisions.
“AI should enhance creativity, efficiency, and precision, without replacing the human judgment," says Aggarwal. “Many AI tools, especially open-source models like ChatGPT, DeepSeek, and Grok, are designed for broad applications. Organisations must invest in training programs to help employees customise these tools for their specific job functions. Without proper training, AI’s potential remains underutilised or misapplied."
At the end of the day, the role of AI goes beyond automating tasks. “It should empower employees to work smarter, innovate and drive competitive advantage. Training is the bridge to that transformation, which will eventually also result in employee happiness," says Aggarwal.
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