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What is burnout? -

Burnout is an occupational phenomenon included in the 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11).

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WHO definition -

It is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as "a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed."

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Characteristics of burnout -

According to the WHO, burnout has three main characteristics: feelings of exhaustion, feelings of negativity related to one’s job, and reduced professional efficacy.

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Burnout vs. stress -

It is important to note that burnout is different from stress. Indeed, burnout is unmanaged stress that can cause physical and emotional exhaustion.

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Consequences of burnout -

If not properly managed, burnout can lead to disengagement of employees and reduced productivity. Not to mention the risks to the employees’ health.

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AI as a potential solution -

Given that burnout is often directly related to workload, there has been a lot of excitement around AI as a potential tool to help deal with the problem.

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Increased efficiency -

The basic thinking is that by introducing AI tools, companies could help their employees to streamline workflows and therefore become more efficient.

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Lower risk of burnout -

Increased efficiency in turn would lead to reduced levels of stress among employees and thereby lower the risk of them suffering from burnout.

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The reality -

Since companies have actually introduced AI into their workflows, however, studies show that in fact the tools are having the opposite effect. 

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Statistics -

According to one study of US workers, for example, employees who frequently use AI have 45% higher burnout rates.

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How AI can increase burnout -

Evidence suggests that AI in the workplace can increase stress levels in several different ways. Firstly, it can actually create more work.

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Case in point -

When PR agency Everest PR introduced AI to its workflows, for example, the idea was that it would increase productivity and enable the firm to keep up with its competitors.

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Various applications -

The founder, Anurag Garg, encouraged his team members to use AI tools for many of their daily tasks, from coming up with story ideas for clients, to transcribing interviews.

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Employee feedback -

However, employees soon reported that the use of AI was actually causing them more work, since they had to create briefs for the tools, as well as check their output for inaccuracies (of which there were plenty).

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Added complications -

There is also the added complication that every time an AI platform is updated, the people who use it have to learn its new features.

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Overwhelming -

When it comes to business leaders and their use of AI, many have reported feeling overwhelmed by the growing number of tools constantly being launched.

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Having to keep up -

Many managers feel they need to keep pace with every new tool on the market, and it is a problem that there is no single tool that can solve every problem.

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Keeping track -

In absence of a single, "does it all" platform, managers must constantly keep track of multiple tools, which can be very frustrating and ultimately inefficient.

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What can be done? -

So, what can businesses do to make sure that AI does not contribute to the problem of burnout? And is there a way to put it to a more positive use?

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Using it for research -

At Everest PR, the team now uses AI primarily for research purposes, and in that context it is much more effective and less problematic.

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Roll it out gradually -

In general, a good way to avoid burning out workers with AI is to avoid rushing into it. A sudden, company-wide roll out of various AI tools is a good way to stress out employees.

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Roll it out gradually -

By introducing tools slowly and communicating carefully about the training that will be provided and how performance expectations will change, managers can soothe their team members’ fears.

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Deliver a clear message -

It is also important for managers to deliver a clear message about how AI will be used, including exactly how it will be integrated and a timeline for roll-out.

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Deliver a clear message -

This messaging should not be company-wide. Instead, employees should be informed of exactly how AI will affect their individual role and daily tasks.

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Use for the right tasks -

Similarly, managers should remind their employees that AI is meant to be used for the more mundane and repetitive tasks.

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Use for the right tasks -

Reminding employees that the higher-level tasks should still sit with them can go a long way in convincing them to buy into the technology.

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Deliver the right training -

Finally, companies should ensure that employees receive the right training to be able to use their AI tools properly. This is paramount.

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Deliver the right training -

Managers may also consider creating an AI support team to respond to employees’ queries about the technology, at least when it is first introduced. 

Sources: (WHO) (Forbes) (BBC) (CBNC)

See also: The most (and least) stressful jobs

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