Artificial intelligence is transforming the way workers carry out their daily activities. While one of its main promises has been to free up time from routine tasks to devote to higher-value work, a new global study by Jabra, a company specializing in professional audio and video solutions, reveals that AI isn’t making professionals work less, but rather forcing them to do more.
The study “WorkLife 2026: The New Shape of Work” from Jabra analyzes how work is changing as AI is integrated into professional activities. The research also reveals important differences in the pace of adoption of these tools across different professional profiles and highlights the role managers play in facilitating their use.
AI Power Users Spend More Time on Strategic and Creative Tasks
Eight-five percent of the professionals surveyed say that at least one area of their daily work has increased over the last twelve months. This trend is especially pronounced among those who use AI several times a day.
Strategic planning is one area where the differences are most evident. Thus, 56% of AI power users now spend more time on these kinds of tasks, while among those who use these tools only occasionally or not at all the figure is 35%. A similar pattern occurs with creative work and content generation, which has increased for 56% of power users compared to 30% of the rest.
There is also more time spent on administrative and coordination tasks – 57% versus 38% – as well as on routine tasks, where the gap is 45% versus 33%.
More AI Also Means More Collaboration
The Jabra study points to another notable shift in how people work. Intensive AI use is not weakening the human dimension. In fact, it is associated with greater collaboration among colleagues and with a stronger sense of connection to teams.
Thus, 63% of those who use AI several times a day say they feel more connected to their colleagues, while only 12% perceive a deterioration. Among those who use these tools once a month or less, only 17% report improved connection with the team.
Additionally, 64% of intensive AI users say they work more with their teams than they did a year ago, compared with 25% of those who use it occasionally. As AI facilitates activities such as information search, drafting summaries, or preparing initial drafts, other tasks gain weight within teamwork, boosting productivity. Meetings are a good example: 40% of professionals spend most of that time solving problems together and 39% use it primarily to make decisions.
The Benefits of Talking to AI
The way we interact with AI is also changing. Professionals who routinely use voice increasingly turn to this channel to solve problems, coordinate tasks, and collaborate, activities where speaking can feel more natural than typing.
Users who talk with AI regularly also show better well-being indicators than those who interact exclusively in writing. They are 24% less likely to feel stressed and 23% less likely to feel fatigued. They are also 16% more likely to feel motivated, 25% more likely to feel accomplished, and 37% more likely to consider their job secure.
Furthermore, speaking with AI accompanies other factors related to AI adoption at work. Those who interact regularly via voice are more likely to receive hands-on training and to view their managers as competent.
Technology is another relevant factor. Professionals who have access to professional audio and video equipment designed for conversational AI are about 40% more likely to regularly use voice to interact with AI during their workday.
“We all talk to our coworkers. Conversing with our AI teammates is a natural extension of that way of working. When we can speak and move forward with AI within the workflow itself, it becomes a practical support. Companies that make this interaction between people and AI easy and safe will be better able to maximize their investments in these technologies,” says Calum MacDougall, President of Jabra.
AI Adoption Advances at Different Speeds
Another key finding from Jabra’s study is that access to and use of AI are not evolving at the same pace across professional profiles. 30% of senior executives are intensive users of these tools, while among non-managerial employees the figure is only 8%. In this latter group, furthermore, 40% use AI once a month or less, compared with 14% among senior executives.
The disparity also shows up in perceptions of the impact this technology is having on work. 47% of senior executives feel their tasks have undergone significant or fundamental changes over the past year, a figure that drops to 18% for employees.
Training is another point of divergence. 64% of non-management workers have not received any AI training or have only had a brief introduction, compared with 26% of executives. Among those who have received training, only 39% of employees consider it very or extremely relevant to their role, versus 76% of senior executives.
The Role of Managers, Key to Driving AI Use
Managers can play a decisive role in reducing this gap. Yet only 27% of employees consider their direct supervisor to have a high or very high level of AI competence. The link between managerial support and tool usage is clear. Among employees who perceive their managers as competent in AI, daily use reaches 65%, while this drops to 27% among those who lack that support.
Perceptions about future career prospects also change depending on that backing. Optimism about one’s career reaches 8.3 out of 10 among those who consider their manager AI competent, compared to 5.5 out of 10 among those who do not share that view.
“The companies that will lead the future will be those that can deploy AI effectively. To achieve this, leaders must listen to their teams and understand what they need to productively incorporate these tools into their work,” concludes MacDougall.
