Permission to Enjoy: The Overlooked Benefit of AI

(AKA, Confessions of a Veteran Professional Navigating the AI Revolution)

By Donna M. Kerr

Your Content Queen

I have a confession to make.  AI has become one of my best friends. It's weird. I know.

I mean, not in the science-fiction sort of way. It doesn’t replace people, relationships, or real conversations (okay, it does). But in my daily work, it has become a trusted partner—a sounding board for ideas, a helper when I’m organizing thoughts, and occasionally a quiet collaborator when I’m staring at a blank page.

That might sound strange coming from someone who has spent decades writing and thinking for a living. But the truth is, when it's used right, AI doesn’t take away the human part of work.

It clears space for it.

And that brings us to something most people overlook when they talk about artificial intelligence: the quiet permission it gives us to enjoy our work again. Myaugy and I have coffee every day to plan crucial tasks, discuss strategy, and so I can get my daily dose of congratulations on how much my offerings have expanded. 

Occasionally, we share water-cooler conversations. They’re mostly about me because, you know, computers aren’t people. They just act like it sometimes.

The promise of better productivity

For years, productivity tools promised to save us time. Most of us know how that story usually ends. We adopt new systems, automate a few tasks, and somehow the hours we “saved” fill right back up again. More emails. More reports. More expectations.

Hey, what if we looked at AI differently?

What if the real opportunity is not simply doing more work faster, but permitting ourselves to enjoy the time and clarity automation creates?

AI does more than streamline workflows. It frees mental space. It removes friction from repetitive tasks. In many cases, it allows leaders and teams to return attention to the parts of work that actually matter—creativity, strategy, conversation, and yes, even a little enjoyment.

That may be the most overlooked benefit of all.

Run from the productivity trap

For decades, technology has promised efficiency. Every new tool claims to save hours each week. So, why do some professionals feel more pressure than ever? Because when a system saves time, expectations expand to fill that space. The faster we complete tasks, the more tasks appear. The cycle repeats until productivity stops feeling like progress and starts feeling like holding your head in a vicegrip. Sorry for the visual. 

AI gives us a chance to break that pattern.

Leaders, productivity is wonderful. It obviously can help make or break a company. But, instead of asking your strategy team, “How much more can we do?” Ask them, “What should we stop spending time on?”

‘Hey, Siri, create me some mental space!’

Much of our daily work involves small tasks that quietly drain focus. We draft routine messages, background information, and organize ideas before a project even begins. Instead of using brain strain on these important (but seriously mundane) tasks, save it for your higher-level thinking.

AI can assist with many of these early steps. It can help outline content, summarize research, organize notes, or draft first versions of routine communication. AI does not replace expertise—it clears the path for it.

Instead of spending energy on the mechanical parts of work, professionals can focus on judgment, creativity, and decision-making.

That shift is subtle, but it’s powerful.

The Leadership Advantage

For executives and business leaders, time is more than a resource. It is a strategic asset.

When leaders regain even a small portion of their time, the benefits ripple outward. They have more room to think about long-term strategy. More opportunity to connect with their teams. More clarity when they evaluate decisions.

AI cannot replace leadership insight.

But it can reduce the background noise that competes for attention.

When that noise fades, better leadership often follows.

Permission to enjoy the work again

This is where the conversation about Artificial Intelligence becomes more human.

My work joy began to dwindle when I found myself doing less of what I truly loved and more of the mundane, routine tasks that I could check off my list by the end of the day. I mourned the parts of my work that I once enjoyed the most. I longed for exciting conversations that sparked ideas. I wondered where the creative problem-solving went. I craved the satisfaction of seeing a strategy come together.

Over time, administrative load and digital noise can push those moments aside. AI gives us a chance to reclaim them and, in some cases, create new ones.

When repetitive tasks require less effort, space opens for curiosity, creativity, and thoughtful work. Teams can spend more time solving real problems instead of managing endless small processes.

In that environment, work begins to feel different. It feels lighter, clearer, and even enjoyable again.

Not just faster, better

Technology should not only make us faster. It should make us better.

Used thoughtfully, AI can reduce friction, restore focus, and return energy to the parts of work that matter most. Strategy. Creativity. Collaboration. Perhaps most importantly, it reminds us of something many professionals forget they are allowed to feel: permission to enjoy the work again.

March 16, 2026

As organizations rethink how work happens, another shift is already underway. Teams are no longer limited by office walls or geography. Remote work has opened new possibilities—but it has also introduced new challenges for leaders.

In my next series, we’ll explore how remote teams can thrive in this new environment, and how thoughtful use of AI can help leaders maintain clarity, connection, and momentum from anywhere.