The Key to Better Work-Life Balance Might Be AI, Workers Say

by Ava Mandoli

According to a new survey, professionals hope to invest more time in their well-being in the next five years -- and AI may help.

Imagine having 12 extra hours per week -- that's how much time Thomson Reuters predicts AI-powered tools will save professionals in future.

A new survey of more than 2,200 professionals by the information services company found that 77 percent of professionals think AI will have a "transformational" impact on their careers in the next five years. While those surveyed work an average of 46 hours per week, more than half of respondents said they feel they do not have enough time to do everything they want to. AI, they hope, will help them dedicate more time to the things that matter to them.

The top area professionals say they'd like to spend the time AI saves them? Their well-being. Twenty-four percent of surveyed workers said they want to spend more time on their hobbies, rest, and generally developing a better work-life balance. Ten percent said they would spend the extra time on long-term work projects and core tasks.

Since the pandemic, when "home became the office and people were working around the clock," developing a good work-life balance has become increasingly important to workers, says Thomson Reuters chief people officer Mary Alice Vuicic. If AI can free up some of their time, she says, it's a "giving them a chance to invest back into wellness."

Half of the professionals included in the survey, conducted in April and May, said they expected to see significant or moderate improvement in work-life balance in the next five years as AI's capabilities increase. But another 38 percent said they expected little or no change. This split, the report suggests, reflects professionals' uncertainty as to whether the future will hold more or fewer working hours.

Broadly, though, workers are enthusiastic about the value these technologies can add to their work. Surveyed professionals were particularly excited about using AI to leverage larger amounts of data for business insights, to reduce human error in their work, and to provide advanced analytics for decision making.

Still, hesitation remains around incorporating AI into the workplace. That stems both from concerns around AI safety and data privacy as well as a sense of uncertainty around how to best incorporate new technologies into the workplace.

"Setting aside time for learning and experimenting with AI is also critical," Vuicic says, adding that business leaders should provide employees with "secure ways" to pursue these experiments.

Indeed, these days a company's competitive advantage depends on its ability to adapt to and embrace new technology, Vuicic says: "We're doubling down on the prediction that AQ -- that adaptability quotient of firms and professionals -- trumps IQ and EQ now."