The Hague, 4 February 2025 – I had the chance to engage in a conversation with fellow communication professionals about AI and its impact on our profession when Zora Artis led a roundtable discussion on the topic as part of the IABC EMENA City Connect in The Hague. She opened with a powerful question:
“If AI was part of this meeting, what role would it take?”
It made me pause. Would AI be a passive observer, summarizing key takeaways? Would it be a data analyst, pulling in real-time insights? Would it be a silent collaborator, enhancing our ideas but never truly engaging in the discussion? Or would it struggle to play any meaningful role at all?
This question led us to a broader conversation about how we, as humans, define productivity.
We often equate productivity with output—how much we can produce in a given minute, hour, or day. AI, with its ability to generate content, analyze data, and automate tasks at speeds we can’t match, challenges this traditional view. But what if we redefined productivity? What if, instead of measuring success in deliverables, we considered our ability to think, connect, and create space for what truly makes us human?

AI and the illusion of productivity
AI is undeniably a powerful tool. It can take over repetitive tasks, provide insights at scale, and free up time. But here’s the paradox: instead of embracing the opportunity AI presents, we often respond by filling every saved minute with more work—more emails, more meetings, more deadlines. We assume that if we are not “doing” something tangible, we are not productive.
This is a missed opportunity. AI should not be about working harder; it should be about working differently. The real value of AI is not in replacing us but in giving us back time—time we could use for deep thinking, reflection, and the kind of human interactions that can’t be automated.
What if we used our extra time differently?
If AI or automation gave us back 5, 10, or even 20 hours a week, what would we do with it? Right now, most workplaces would simply redistribute that time into more tasks. But what if we made a different choice?
Blue-sky thinking: Creativity and strategy require space. The best ideas don’t come when we are drowning in meetings or cranking out reports; they emerge when we have time to explore, reflect, and connect dots. AI can free us to think bigger.
Meaningful connection: Communication is about relationships, not just transactions. Imagine if we used our extra time to strengthen connections—with colleagues, teams, or customers. Taking time to listen, understand, and engage meaningfully is what creates trust and belonging.
Well-being and balance: Productivity should not come at the expense of well-being. Burnout levels are at an all-time high, with approximately 20% of Dutch employees experiencing burnout or emotional exhaustion in the past year, especially among those aged 25 to 54. In a broader European context, 46% of respondents reported emotional or psychosocial struggles, including anxiety and depression, in the last 12 months. Instead of using AI’s efficiency gains to squeeze in more work, organizations could leverage them to reduce burnout and create workplaces that value quality over sheer output.
The role of communicators in AI adoption
As communicators, we have a unique role to play in AI adoption—not just in shaping messages but in facilitating change, improving employee experience, and redefining workplace productivity. AI presents a major shift in how work is done, and if left unchecked, it could simply become another tool for squeezing more efficiency out of employees rather than enhancing their work experience.
Communicators can guide organizations in taking a human-centered approach to AI adoption by ensuring it is used to:
- Enhance employee experience, not just optimize workflows. AI should remove friction from employees’ day-to-day tasks, giving them more autonomy and time for meaningful work.
- Support well-being and prevent burnout. With burnout levels at an all-time high—20% of Dutch employees experiencing burnout last year and 46% of Europeans reporting emotional distress—AI’s efficiency gains should be used to improve balance, not increase workload.
- Foster connection and collaboration. AI can automate processes, but it cannot replace the human elements of trust, empathy, and innovation that drive strong teams and inclusive cultures.
Communicators can reframe the AI conversation from one of pure efficiency to one of opportunity and responsibility. We have the power to influence how AI is introduced, ensuring it supports people, fosters belonging, and creates more sustainable ways of working—rather than simply reinforcing outdated notions of productivity.
If AI is giving us back time, it’s up to us to ensure that time is invested in ways that benefit people, not just more output. This is where communicators, HR, and leadership need to work together to reimagine productivity in a way that aligns with belonging, inclusion, and well-being.
And that brings us back to the original question: If AI was part of this meeting, what role would it take?
Perhaps the real question is: What role do we want it to take?#
References
Eurobarometer. (2023). Mental health and wellbeing in the European Union: Summary report. European Parliament. Retrieved from https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/ATAG/2024/762422/EPRS_ATA%282024%29762422_EN.pdf
Statista. (2023). Share of people with a burnout in the Netherlands in 2022, by age. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1058760/share-of-people-with-a-burn-out-in-the-netherlands-by-age/