- AI is helping eliminate many “administrative” chores at work, such as summarizing emails, taking meeting minutes, or processing expenses, promising to free up time for strategic thinking.
- The problem is that the human brain cannot maintain high-intensity thinking continuously; “eureka” moments often appear while performing simple, repetitive tasks.
- Aflac CEO Dan Amos deliberately retains light tasks, such as writing hand-written letters or reflecting after meetings, to create mental breaks and trigger creativity.
- He views quiet moments, such as watching commercials or relaxing in a sauna, as catalysts for new ideas.
- At many companies in 2026, “idle time” is seen as a waste, especially in the context of layoffs and AI-driven optimization.
- Convictional CEO Roger Kirkness noted a 20% increase in productivity thanks to AI, but employees are often exhausted by the weekend.
- The cause is that AI has removed “light work,” leaving only high-level thinking throughout the day, leading to burnout.
- The company switched to a 4-day work week to maintain freshness while keeping the workload unchanged.
- Economist Juliet Schor warns that if businesses only reallocate time instead of providing true rest, creativity will be stifled.
- Concepts like “white space” or “no-input time” are encouraged to protect boredom that is beneficial for thinking.
📌 Conclusion: AI brings clear efficiency, but completely erasing mundane tasks can backfire. When employees are forced to maintain high intensity all day, the risk of burnout increases and creativity declines. Instead of filling every minute with performance, businesses need to actively design “white space” to allow humans to be bored and to think, thereby sparking valuable ideas.
