Colleen I'm also a bit confused of how AI impacts front line service workers (nurses, teachers, bus/truck drivers) differently to white collar professionals (lawyers, bankers, doctors) differently? I guess what I'm worried about is if the "threat of job disruption" increases subjective reports of burnout?
Many nurses and medical clerics might become under threat by more AI in their systems of healthcare. While some niche tools for doctors might save them time - it's two very different experiences even in the healthcare setting alone.
It’s a good point, we often forget that there is a steep learning curve to new technology, software and just general tools… We have to think about the fact that these front line workers don’t have enough time in the day to do their current roles let alone learn something new. It’s definitely a factor in the way that we adopt AI, if at all.
This piece nails the symptoms — and hints at the structural root.
In my work with structural intelligence, we see the same thing across industries: AI isn’t just transforming jobs — it’s revealing the brittle architectures they were built on.
Burnout, fragmentation, and decision fatigue aren’t individual failures. They’re systemic design flaws. AI can help, but only if we use it to redesign the flow of decisions, the shape of resilience, and the scaffolding of human work.
The graphic for highlighting factors for burnout w/healthcare workers has an overwhelming overlap with ALL jobs. People are experiencing burnout more and more. Why?
Burnout is fundamentally misalignment. People will gladly work 60 hours a week on a goal if they think it is worthwhile AND benefits them. But when they're barely making ends meet, and they're not receiving a decent slice of the pie, burnout happens.
Great point with teachers. I'm sure plenty of people reading this have friends who were teachers, many of whom quit the profession because of burnout. Not uncommon.
When asked, they all always said the same thing: long hours and low pay.
I do think that AI can help with administrative tasks and alleviate repetitive and tedious paperwork. That said, The more time AI frees up, the more time people will have to keep working (and people will find work to do...).
AI will be co-pilot for some professions, and will entirely replace others. We've seen enough progress recently to know this is definitely the case. Doctors are safe. Administrative clerks are not.
Very insightful, and you're right. Burnout doesn't impact just the front-line workers we see the trends across all industries and all types of workers.
Misalignment is a great way to capture why burnout is at an all time high. And it's not always about working too much and not getting rewarded, there are many factors.
Misalignment is an interesting term Chris. In many countries lower fertility correlates with lower youth employment and higher demands from ultra competitive jobs. Young people are rejecting some of the cultural norms around work of their older cohorts and more work focused generations. There's certainly a disconnect on many levels, and AI is and will definitely complicate the picture.
On the cusp of a recession there are certainly going to be more layoffs and it will accelerate some kinds of automation, including companies making Generative AI more primary to streamline operations and efficiency. I don't personally buy that AI is just augmenting roles or boosting productivity - it's doing a lot of things including increasing uncertainty.
I believe financial uncertainty increases stress and breaks down relationships that augments burnout. If AI is a great disruptor it could actually potentially contribute to experiences of burnout, job displacement, the pressure to pivot and change careers and push people in careers they are no longer aligned with into new projects.
In some cases, AI tools actually increase complexity and long hours at work because the pressure to use AI tools, automation and be "AI Literate" is itself yet another added stress on the cognitive load and financial insecurity of the times.
Agreed, there is not a single AI solution that resolves the overworked. There needs to be a revolution of sorts in how we think about work, how we integrate with AI to help alleviate some of the 'noise' that consumes a lot of hours of someone's work day.
I wonder what forcing employees back to the office in the RTO movement, does to feelings of burnout? Or the experience of technological loneliness and digital alienation many younger people feel today? I feel like this topic might be more complex than it seems? With multiple socio-economic and mental health aspects at work here.
Colleen I'm also a bit confused of how AI impacts front line service workers (nurses, teachers, bus/truck drivers) differently to white collar professionals (lawyers, bankers, doctors) differently? I guess what I'm worried about is if the "threat of job disruption" increases subjective reports of burnout?
Many nurses and medical clerics might become under threat by more AI in their systems of healthcare. While some niche tools for doctors might save them time - it's two very different experiences even in the healthcare setting alone.
It’s a good point, we often forget that there is a steep learning curve to new technology, software and just general tools… We have to think about the fact that these front line workers don’t have enough time in the day to do their current roles let alone learn something new. It’s definitely a factor in the way that we adopt AI, if at all.
This piece nails the symptoms — and hints at the structural root.
In my work with structural intelligence, we see the same thing across industries: AI isn’t just transforming jobs — it’s revealing the brittle architectures they were built on.
Burnout, fragmentation, and decision fatigue aren’t individual failures. They’re systemic design flaws. AI can help, but only if we use it to redesign the flow of decisions, the shape of resilience, and the scaffolding of human work.
Otherwise, we’re just accelerating collapse.
Colleen also writes the Newsletter Leadership &: https://www.leadershipand.org/
I have to mention that we have a matching Substack chat on this topic if you want some rather amusing takes on this: https://open.substack.com/chat/posts/b5aba98d-2055-40f2-9089-f1ef80d4e20f
Spot on, Colleen!
The graphic for highlighting factors for burnout w/healthcare workers has an overwhelming overlap with ALL jobs. People are experiencing burnout more and more. Why?
Burnout is fundamentally misalignment. People will gladly work 60 hours a week on a goal if they think it is worthwhile AND benefits them. But when they're barely making ends meet, and they're not receiving a decent slice of the pie, burnout happens.
Great point with teachers. I'm sure plenty of people reading this have friends who were teachers, many of whom quit the profession because of burnout. Not uncommon.
When asked, they all always said the same thing: long hours and low pay.
I do think that AI can help with administrative tasks and alleviate repetitive and tedious paperwork. That said, The more time AI frees up, the more time people will have to keep working (and people will find work to do...).
AI will be co-pilot for some professions, and will entirely replace others. We've seen enough progress recently to know this is definitely the case. Doctors are safe. Administrative clerks are not.
Very insightful, and you're right. Burnout doesn't impact just the front-line workers we see the trends across all industries and all types of workers.
Misalignment is a great way to capture why burnout is at an all time high. And it's not always about working too much and not getting rewarded, there are many factors.
Misalignment is an interesting term Chris. In many countries lower fertility correlates with lower youth employment and higher demands from ultra competitive jobs. Young people are rejecting some of the cultural norms around work of their older cohorts and more work focused generations. There's certainly a disconnect on many levels, and AI is and will definitely complicate the picture.
On the cusp of a recession there are certainly going to be more layoffs and it will accelerate some kinds of automation, including companies making Generative AI more primary to streamline operations and efficiency. I don't personally buy that AI is just augmenting roles or boosting productivity - it's doing a lot of things including increasing uncertainty.
I believe financial uncertainty increases stress and breaks down relationships that augments burnout. If AI is a great disruptor it could actually potentially contribute to experiences of burnout, job displacement, the pressure to pivot and change careers and push people in careers they are no longer aligned with into new projects.
AI tools could very well be pushed on the workforce to simply increase output while maintaining the same long, strss-packed hours.
In some cases, AI tools actually increase complexity and long hours at work because the pressure to use AI tools, automation and be "AI Literate" is itself yet another added stress on the cognitive load and financial insecurity of the times.
Agreed, there is not a single AI solution that resolves the overworked. There needs to be a revolution of sorts in how we think about work, how we integrate with AI to help alleviate some of the 'noise' that consumes a lot of hours of someone's work day.
I wonder what forcing employees back to the office in the RTO movement, does to feelings of burnout? Or the experience of technological loneliness and digital alienation many younger people feel today? I feel like this topic might be more complex than it seems? With multiple socio-economic and mental health aspects at work here.
You must have been reading my mind. I am working on an article about the real cost of RTO on our health (mental and physical).
I appreciate that, I have lately been working on my psychic capabilities.