AI Productivity May Be Causing “Brain Fry,” Study Finds

The promise of artificial intelligence has long been clear: let machines handle complex tasks to make work easier. But a new study suggests that instead of reducing stress, AI may be creating a new kind of workplace fatigue.

According to research published in the Harvard Business Review, some workers are experiencing what experts call “AI brain fry” — a form of mental exhaustion caused by constantly managing and supervising AI tools.

Researchers surveyed around 1,500 employees and found that workers who frequently switch between multiple AI platforms report higher levels of decision fatigue and workplace errors. About one in seven respondents said they experienced mental fatigue from juggling AI tools.

Julie Bedard, managing director and partner at Boston Consulting Group and one of the study’s authors, said the findings could serve as an early warning for organizations adopting AI at scale.

“AI can move far ahead of us, but we still have the same brain we had yesterday,” Bedard said in an interview with CBS News. “This is an early warning sign that expectations around AI productivity may need to be recalibrated.”

The AI Productivity Paradox

The study highlights a paradox: AI can both reduce and increase burnout.

When employees use AI to automate repetitive tasks, stress levels tend to drop. However, when workers must constantly monitor multiple AI systems or shift between several tools, mental strain rises significantly.

Bedard explained that while AI expands what workers can accomplish, it also expands what they are responsible for.

“AI allows us to extend our capabilities and workload,” she said. “But intensive oversight of AI can also create cognitive exhaustion.”

What “AI Brain Fry” Feels Like

For professionals who rely heavily on AI tools, the experience is already familiar.

Jack Downey, head of strategy, operations, and product at Webster Pass Consulting, said working with AI often involves switching between multiple tasks and waiting for systems to complete processes.

“You’re constantly waiting and changing gears,” Downey explained. “It might take five seconds for one task, 50 seconds for another, and five minutes for something else.”

Downey said the nearly limitless potential of AI can also create pressure to continuously improve workflows, making it difficult to know when to stop.

“As a perfectionist, you keep thinking the next improvement is possible,” he said. “Sometimes you end up spending more time perfecting the workflow than finishing the work.”

Why Companies Should Take Notice

For years, AI has been expected to help fewer workers accomplish more tasks faster. But if AI is contributing to cognitive overload, companies may need to rethink how AI tools are integrated into daily workflows.

Bedard emphasized that businesses should redesign work processes rather than simply layering AI onto existing systems.

“We can’t just keep doing what we did yesterday and put AI on top of it,” she said.

The study also found that leadership and proper training significantly reduce AI-related fatigue. Employees whose managers carefully structured AI usage reported fewer cases of brain fry.

Workers experiencing AI brain fry were also more likely to report slower decision-making, higher fatigue, and more mistakes.

Experts say the solution is not abandoning AI but rethinking how humans and AI systems collaborate.

As artificial intelligence continues to reshape workplaces, the real challenge may not be what AI can do — but how much the human brain can keep up.