Every time someone asks a digital assistant to summarize a report, compose an email, or prioritize a to-do list, the AI and productivity They demonstrate the extent to which artificial intelligence has been integrated into the day-to-day life of companies. It is a silent help, which speeds up processes and allows many employees to feel more efficient.
But, according to a new study from Atlassian, this progress has a less visible side. And the more productive people become, the more difficult it seems to keep teams coordinated. AI and productivity are advancing hand in hand, but they are still failing to fulfill their promise of improving collaboration.
AI, omnipresent but not very connective
In just one year, the daily use of artificial intelligence tools has doubled. Employees report feeling 33% more productive thanks to them, gaining around 1.3 hours a day. More than half (51%) say that, before asking a colleague, they first consult the AI to resolve doubts or find information. This trend is not isolated, but rather a reflection of an organizational culture in full transformation where the AI and productivity They are already an inseparable part of the modern work environment.
The study shows that 74% of workers perceive that their superiors actively promote the use of AI, compared to 60% registered the previous year. It is a notable leap that reflects a change in business mentality, more open to experimentation. But the paradox emerges right there: increased personal efficiency does not translate into more synchronized teams. Tasks are multiplying, tools are multiplying, and information silos persist, putting the relationship between AI and productivity to the test.
According to Atlassian, only 3% of organizations have seen a significant improvement in their overall efficiency. Workflows remain fragmented, decisions are made dispersed, and the proliferation of AI tools creates confusion. In some cases, AI has even added complexity to internal processes, showing how AI and productivity They do not always evolve in harmony.
AI and productivity: when automation amplifies chaos
37% of managers recognize that the uncoordinated use of AI has confused their teams or caused them to waste time. In other words, what should be a lever for AI and productivity can become an obstacle if it is not applied with a collective vision.
«Despite the wide range of AI tools that exist, many teams are not getting the revolutionary results they expected. Because? Because they think small,” explains Avani Prabhakar, Chief People Officer at Atlassian. “Instead of using AI just to check off individual tasks, we should use it to better connect teams and share knowledge. Only then does the relationship between AI and productivity become a truly transformative tool.”
That transformation, according to the study, involves redesigning the way companies integrate AI into their operations. It is not enough to adopt tools: it is necessary to establish a collaboration framework where data, ideas and projects flow transversally, reinforcing the binomial of AI and productivity.
Leadership and expectations regarding AI
Managers seem to trust the potential of artificial intelligence more than the rest of the workforce. In fact, they are 5.6 times more likely to believe that AI can help solve complex problems. However, only 4% consider that they can overcome “impossible” challenges. This gap between perception and reality is also reflected in use: while 82% of marketing directors think that their teams already use AI to create content, only 56% of workers confirm doing so, which shows that AI and productivity do not always advance at the same pace.
Despite this, interest is growing. 79% of employees say they would use AI more if they had access to the right data. And while leaders expect automated work to double over the next five years, only 10% predict massive job losses. On the contrary, 34% believe that AI and productivity will allow more time to be spent on strategic and creative tasks, and 29% anticipate the emergence of new specialized roles.
The challenge, more cultural than technological
The study highlights a key point; The success of artificial intelligence does not depend solely on its technical capacity, but on how its adoption is managed. Today, more than half of executives (52%) say they are asked to promote the use of AI, but without this influencing their evaluation or remuneration. Only 10% of companies link effective AI adoption to performance objectives, which directly impacts the relationship between AI and productivity.
“Unleashing the potential of AI is not automatic. It requires a deep cultural transformation,” adds Prabhakar. “Leaders must invest in training and time so that employees can apply AI in a meaningful way. Only in this way can we move from automation to innovation, and the alliance between AI and productivity is consolidated within organizations.”
The conclusion is clear. Focusing AI solely on personal productivity can be expensive. Atlassian estimates that this limited vision could cost Fortune 500 companies up to $98 billion a year. The future of AI and productivity will not depend on having more tools, but on learning to use them to better connect people.
