An experiment showed that ChatGPT enables employees to do better work in less time.

What impact does AI have on employee productivity? This question has been on our minds since the launch of ChatGPT late last year. A scientific study finally provides an answer to this question: Yes, the use of ChatGPT and other AI tools makes employees more productive.

Scientists had a panel of 453 highly qualified professionals complete a series of online tests. These were tasks that they have to deal with every day in their job, such as writing emails and reports. Half of the participants were allowed to use ChatGPT, the other half had to do it alone.

The results don’t lie: the group that received help from ChatGPT took up to forty percent less time to complete the tasks on average. Rush and urgency are rarely good, but this was one of those rare cases, performing on average 18 percent better than the group not receiving artificial assistance. Not surprisingly, the test group had more positive opinions about artificial intelligence, and the researchers even found a positive association between the ability to use AI and job satisfaction.

ChatGPT at work

Should all employers gift their employees a subscription to ChatGPT Plus? The study does not take a clear position on this. A clear positive link has been found between AI and productivity, and the researchers believe this can help close skills gaps within an organization. However, this effect can also work in reverse, favoring employees who have access to artificial intelligence for promotions and bonuses.

Ultimately, it is therefore up to the employer to make good agreements about the use of artificial intelligence within the organization. This will be a hot topic of conversation for many companies today and tomorrow.