How many hours are employees saving due to gen AI?

Nearly four in 10 users of generative AI in the workplace say they are saving up to 10 hours a week, as a new report revealed the widespread use of the technology at work.

Contentful’s survey among 820 people across the world found that 37% of daily gen AI users are saving between five to 10 hours a week.

Another 38% reported saving between one to almost five hours of time at work thanks to gen AI tools, according to the report.

There are nine per cent who reported saving between 11 to 20 hours of work, while two per cent said they are able to save more than 20 hours.

The length of time saved also varied depending on roles, with more people in technical roles saving between five and 10 hours at work.

Employees in non-technical roles, on the other hand, are more likely to save between one to less than five hours.

Source: Contentful’s Generative AI Professional Usage and Perception Survey

“Gen AI is here to stay. It has the power to radically transform how we work together across teams and departments,” said Karthik Rau, CEO of Contentful, in a statement.

“By fostering a culture of knowledge and responsible usage, organisations can empower their workforce to harness the full capabilities of gen AI while unlocking the creativity of their teams.”

Access to generative AI

The time-saving benefits of gen AI at work come as more employers invest in such tools for their workforce, according to the report. It found that more than three-quarters of respondents have company-paid access to gen AI tools at work, with 61% of employees saying employer-provided access is “for the better.”

“Overall, most respondents view a potential employer’s decision to provide access to gen AI tools favourably in choosing whether or not to take a job, with far more ambivalence than any negative impact,” the report read.

Source: Contentful’s Generative AI Professional Usage and Perception Survey

According to the report, only 29% of the respondents said they have no interest or need for generative AI tools at work, citing concern or fears (13%), lack of knowledge (16%), and the lack of opportunity (11%).