AI Users have workdays up to 90 min longer than non-users

An analysis of digital work patterns among 9,140 knowledge workers at 467 enterprises, collected from April to September 2026, examines how generative AI use relates to workdays, focus and workflow. AI users’ workdays span 8.4 to 9.1 hours, versus 7.6 hours for non-users - up to 90 minutes longer. Heavy users spend a similar proportion of their time working after hours as non-users, but their longer days add about 18 minutes of after-hours work daily. They also switch applications more often: 1.1 times per hour versus 0.95 for non-users. Their uninterrupted focus sessions average 37.8 minutes, compared with 48.2 minutes for light users. Heavy users devote less work time to formal meetings than non-users.

How AI is accessed appears to matter: employees using AI embedded in their main work applications average 0.6 application switches per hour, while browser-based AI users average 1.7 to 4.2. The findings suggest that moving between standalone tools may add workflow friction, though the analysis identifies associations rather than proving AI causes longer days or disrupted focus. Patterns also vary by role: software engineers, more likely to use embedded AI, spend 78.5% of active time in core coding applications; operations managers spend 75.5% in core applications, with switching rising during heavy coordination. The central argument is that adoption alone is not a measure of success: organizations should integrate AI into workflows and assess its effects on productivity and efficiency.