AI users work longer days, ActivTrak data finds

ActivTrak said AI users’ workdays spanned 8.4 to 9.1 hours, compared with 7.6 hours for non-users—a difference of up to 90 minutes.[1] The analysis examined actual digital work patterns for 9,140 workers at 467 enterprises, using data collected between April 1 and September 25, 2026.[1] ActivTrak said it relied on observed digital activity rather than employee surveys or self-reported AI adoption.[1] The results describe patterns in that dataset; they do not, by themselves, show that AI caused the longer days.[3]

ActivTrak defined heavy AI users as employees using AI for more than 45 minutes and at least five sessions per day.[1] Their workdays were 18 minutes longer, according to the analysis.[1] Heavy users averaged 1.1 application switches per hour, compared with 0.95 for non-users, and spent nearly the same share of their workday after hours: 32.3% versus 31.9%.[1] Formal meetings accounted for 3% of heavy users’ work time, against 5% for non-users.[1] These measures offer teams several ways to examine workflow changes beyond time spent using AI.

ActivTrak reported a contrast in app switching by AI setup: employees using AI embedded in their primary work applications averaged 0.6 switches per hour, while browser-based AI users averaged between 1.7 and 4.2.[1] The company separately said browser-based AI users switched apps 4.2 times an hour, compared with 0.95 for non-AI users.[1] ActivTrak said integrating AI into existing applications may reduce context switching, while standalone tools may add workflow steps.[1] That makes the way a tool fits into existing work a relevant consideration when teams assess AI’s effects.

The findings do not resolve whether longer-working employees are more likely to adopt AI or whether AI encourages employees to take on more work.[3] ActivTrak executive Gabriela Mauch said AI may help employees finish tasks faster but is associated in the research with longer workdays, more app switching and shorter focus sessions.[1] She also said productivity gains should be measured in terms of efficiency and business performance, rather than treating AI use as an end in itself.[1] Bloomberg noted that business leaders, including JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, have predicted AI will shorten the workweek.[2] A Greyhound Research analyst noted that ActivTrak sells the measurement capability and that workers who use AI may still be counted as non-users in its measurements.[4]