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TOOL SPOTLIGHT |
AI is making workers more efficient - and more burned out, survey finds
When AI time savings flow back into headcount targets instead of better work, the efficiency argument starts to hollow out.
The efficiency case for AI at work is real - and so, increasingly, is the cost. The Journal of Accountancy reports on findings from Korn Ferry's Workforce 2026 Global Insights Report, a survey of more than 16,000 employees, that show the two outcomes running in parallel: while 63% of respondents said AI has increased their efficiency, 52% said AI tools have also increased the number of tasks expected in their role.
BY THE NUMBERS
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Sep 15, 2026 PUBLISHED |
AI feature WHAT THIS IS |
The survey paints a specific picture of how firms are deploying the technology. Per the Journal of Accountancy's coverage, 64% of respondents said their company is more focused on driving efficiencies than exploring new ways to add value - both of which the report acknowledges as potential strengths of AI. That framing matters: efficiency extraction and value creation are not the same objective, and employees appear to know the difference. The Journal of Accountancy reports that 62% said their workload has increased significantly in the last two years, 61% feel they are performing the responsibilities of more than one role, and 49% said they are exhausted by the pace of change at their organization.
For accounting teams, the pattern is worth naming plainly. If AI saves two hours on a reconciliation and management immediately loads those two hours with another client or another deliverable, the tool has not changed the job - it has repriced it. The Journal of Accountancy notes that Korn Ferry's Jenna Young framed the retention risk directly, asking whether companies can sustain people feeling like they are permanently working two jobs and whether they will keep their highest performers. That is a question firm owners and finance directors should be able to answer before the next engagement planning cycle.
None of this argues against adopting AI. It argues for being deliberate about where the time goes once AI captures it. The firms that are watching this carefully are the ones pairing automation rollouts with explicit conversations about workload - not assuming the technology solves the capacity problem on its own.
WHAT TO VERIFY
| Ask where AI time savings actually go in your team - back to staff or into a higher task count. | |
| Track whether task expectations per person have risen since AI tools were introduced. | |
| Retention risk is real: 61% of survey respondents feel they are doing more than one job. |
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QUESTIONS THIS ANSWERS
How many people were surveyed in the Korn Ferry Workforce 2026 report?
The Journal of Accountancy reports the survey covered more than 16,000 employees globally.
Did AI actually make workers more productive in the survey?
63% of respondents said AI increased their efficiency, per the Journal of Accountancy's coverage of the Korn Ferry report. The problem is that 52% also said it increased the number of tasks expected of them.
What share of employees said their workload has grown in the last two years?
The Journal of Accountancy reports 62% said their workload has increased significantly in the last two years.
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