Artificial intelligence may be rewriting the rules of work—but not everyone is feeling more productive. That’s the central argument of a new white paper from the University of Phoenix College of Doctoral Studies, titled “Reinventing Productivity: Aligning AI Innovation with Human Potential in the Modern Workforce.”
Authored by Jessica Sylvester, Ed.D., MBA, Senior Manager of College Operations and research fellow at the University’s Center for Educational and Instructional Technology Research (CEITR), the paper digs into a question leaders across every industry are asking: Why hasn’t the AI boom consistently boosted productivity?
The AI Paradox: High Investment, Flat Output
Despite unprecedented investment in AI tools, many organizations are struggling to translate automation into measurable performance gains. Sylvester’s analysis, informed by the University of Phoenix Career Optimism Index® and related research, paints a complex picture of the modern workplace.
Among the findings:
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51% of U.S. employees report burnout, a rate that’s been stubbornly high despite digital transformation.
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Only 34% of employers currently offer AI training, limiting the workforce’s ability to adapt to emerging tools.
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Employees who do use AI are 2.5 times more likely to feel autonomy at work and report greater career control and less burnout.
In other words, AI isn’t the issue—how organizations implement it is.
“The conversation about AI can’t begin and end with tools; it must start with people,” Sylvester said. “When organizations adopt AI with transparency, build AI literacy, and redesign roles for flexibility, the technology augments human capability rather than eroding it.”
From Hype to Human Impact
The paper calls for a human-centered approach to AI integration, where innovation aligns with workforce well-being and equitable access to upskilling. Its recommendations read like a roadmap for responsible transformation:
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Embed ethics and fairness into AI training and governance.
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Foster psychological safety to encourage experimentation and adaptation.
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Prioritize internal mobility and cross-skilling opportunities to reduce workforce polarization.
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Redesign roles for flexibility and well-being, enabling technology to amplify rather than replace human judgment.
These strategies, Sylvester argues, are essential if employers and policymakers want AI to deliver genuine productivity gains—rather than more pressure disguised as progress.
A Broader Context: The Human-AI Equation
Sylvester’s findings come amid growing debate over whether generative AI tools have truly lived up to their hype. While organizations from Microsoft to IBM tout efficiency breakthroughs, broader economic data show productivity growth remains sluggish. The disconnect highlights an emerging truth: technology alone doesn’t transform work—leadership does.
The University of Phoenix’s research adds weight to a growing body of thought suggesting that the future of productivity lies not in replacing people with AI, but in reimagining how people and technology work together.
About the Author
Dr. Jessica Sylvester brings more than 18 years of higher education experience and teaches across the University of Phoenix’s Colleges of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Education, and Business and Information Technology. She holds a Doctor of Education in Higher Education Administration and an MBA from University of Phoenix, as well as a Bachelor of Social Work from Arizona State University.
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Business Wire, a Berkshire Hathaway company, is the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure. Public relations, investor relations, public policy and marketing professionals rely on Business Wire for secure and accurate distribution of market-moving news and multimedia. Founded in 1961, Business Wire is a trusted source for news organizations, journalists, investment professionals and regulatory authorities, delivering news directly into editorial systems and leading online news sources via its multi-patented NX network. Business Wire’s global newsrooms are available to meet the needs of communications professionals and news media worldwide.
