A survey has found that while using AI in Japanese companies shortens working time, it also tends to increase overtime. AI use is creating new tasks, bringing the pathology of busyness into view.
The report covers a survey based on the Economic and Fiscal White Paper as of August 2026, along with data collected by PERSOL Research and Consulting. The working time required for the tasks in question reportedly fell by an average of 16.7% through the use of AI.
However, only 25.4% of respondents said they had actually reduced their overall working hours. This is cited as one factor behind the phenomenon of overtime not declining even when AI is used.
Among “heavy users,” who tend to work longer hours of overtime as their use of AI increases, many use generative AI 4 or more days a week.
One possible reason is that many begin new tasks, such as preparing and summarising meeting minutes, using generative AI. In practice, taking on work they had not previously done may be contributing to the increase in overtime.