Bookmark: Workers who use AI are more productive at work—but less happy, research finds
The article explores a study highlighting the paradox of AI’s effect on productivity and creativity among scientists and workers. While AI enhances efficiency, allowing individuals to achieve more in less time, it appears to suppress creativity—often a key driver of innovation and problem-solving in complex tasks. This study particularly notes that in environments requiring increased creativity, such as drug discovery and healthcare innovation, the reliance on AI tools may limit novel thought processes crucial to groundbreaking discoveries. Furthermore, another study mentioned in the article reveals that while AI boosts on-the-job productivity, it correlates with decreased job satisfaction among workers, suggesting that AI may streamline tasks but may also contribute to a sense of reduced accomplishment or fulfillment. These findings resonate with contemporary debates about the role of AI in the workplace, where it is often extolled for potential efficiency gains yet critiqued for possibly undermining human elements of engagement and innovative capacity. The article argues for a critical examination of how AI is integrated into work processes, urging a balance where AI augments human capability without compromising creativity and job satisfaction Workers who use AI are more productive at work—but less happy, research finds
Featured writing
Why customer tools are organized wrong
This article reveals a fundamental flaw in how customer support tools are designed—organizing by interaction type instead of by customer—and explains why this fragmentation wastes time and obscures the full picture you need to help users effectively.
Infrastructure shapes thought
The tools you build determine what kinds of thinking become possible. On infrastructure, friction, and building deliberately for thought rather than just throughput.
Server-Side Dashboard Architecture: Why Moving Data Fetching Off the Browser Changes Everything
How choosing server-side rendering solved security, CORS, and credential management problems I didn't know I had.
Books
The Work of Being (in progress)
A book on AI, judgment, and staying human at work.
The Practice of Work (in progress)
Practical essays on how work actually gets done.
Recent writing
We always panic about new tools (and we're always wrong)
Every time a new tool emerges for making or manipulating symbols, we panic. The pattern is so consistent it's almost embarrassing. Here's what happened each time.
Dev reflection - February 03, 2026
I've been thinking about constraints today. Not the kind that block you—the kind that clarify. There's a difference, and most people miss it.
When execution becomes cheap, ideas become expensive
This article reveals a fundamental shift in how organizations operate: as AI makes execution nearly instantaneous, the bottleneck has moved from implementation to decision-making. Understanding this transition is critical for anyone leading teams or making strategic choices in an AI-enabled world.
Notes and related thinking
Bookmark: Mark Cuban says AI won't have much of an impact on jobs that require you to think
Mark Cuban argues AI will primarily affect jobs with simple decision-making, leaving roles that require critical thinking largely intact.
Article analysis: Unlocking autonomous agent capabilities with Microsoft Copilot Studio
Unlock the potential of autonomous agents with Microsoft Copilot Studio, enhancing efficiency and innovation for businesses in the AI-driven landscape.
Bookmark: Marc Benioff says that from now on CEOs will no longer lead all-human workforces—enter the new era of AI coworkers
Discover how Marc Benioff envisions CEOs leading hybrid teams of humans and AI, transforming workforce dynamics and enhancing productivity.