"5 flaws in the ‘augmented work’ myth: What a major Québec survey found,"

We’re being promised a revolution. Artificial intelligence is said to make work both more productive and more enjoyable by freeing us from tedious tasks and allowing us to devote more time to what really matters. This is the narrative of “augmented work.”

But what is the reality for people who are already working with AI?

To find out, our research team, led by the International Observatory on the Social Impacts of AI and Digital Technology (Obvia), partnered with 11 labor unions representing more than 1.4 million members. Together, we surveyed 4,595 union members in Québec in 2025. Our findings urge us to seriously reconsider the myth that machines universally improve work...

... among those who use it daily, only 44 per cent report a real gain in productivity. Even more surprisingly, 26 per cent report a loss of efficiency because of the technology.

The second promise of “augmented work” is a lighter workload. Here again, the picture is mixed. AI does indeed lighten the burden for 46 per cent of respondents. But it increases the burden for nearly one in five (17 per cent) and makes no difference for the remaining third...

First, a lack of oversight within organizations: only 24 per cent of respondents say their organization has a policy or other mechanism governing AI use.

Second, the rollout is anything but transparent and democratic: barely 12 per cent say they were consulted before deployment, and only 26 per cent believe their organization is transparent about its use of AI...

Nearly one in five people (18 per cent) fear for their job because of AI...

These results contrast with most major forecasting studies that predict that skilled office jobs are the most at risk from AI.

This discrepancy between the models’ predictions and the fears people actually feel is worth examining: it serves as a reminder that technological anxiety often takes root where people already feel most vulnerable...