Web Summit survey reveals AI increases workload for 60% of tech professionals

A survey conducted by Web Summit involving over 1,400 industry professionals, including founders and investors, highlights a complex relationship with artificial intelligence. While 60% of respondents reported that AI has increased their workload, only 20% felt it helped reduce it. Despite this tension, 60% remain optimistic about the technology's future impact on work.

Opinions regarding job security are evenly split: one-third believe AI will increase jobs, one-third believe it will decrease them, and one-third expect no significant change. Regarding cognitive impact, 55% believe AI will strengthen critical thinking, though engineers were notably more skeptical, with 26% believing it could weaken it. Additionally, 42% of those surveyed believe there is currently an excess of investment in AI and anticipate a slowdown in the near future.

In a separate discussion at Universidade Católica Portuguesa, experts emphasized that human qualities such as intuition, emotion, and empathy remain distinct from technological replication. Participants noted that while AI can mimic brain functions, it lacks the human mind, suggesting these traits will be essential to distinguish humans from automated systems in professional environments.