AI is actually adding to people’s workloads, increasing burnout fears

Agency staff say artificial intelligence is adding to their workloads rather than reducing them, according to a new poll. The survey from Resource Guru suggests that one in five UK agency workers believe AI has increased the amount of work they do, fuelling concerns about burnout in an industry already known for long hours and client pressure. The report challenges the common assumption that AI automatically speeds up delivery and cuts costs. Instead, respondents highlighted new layers of hidden work, including drafting detailed prompts and templates to generate usable material, fixing errors in AI outputs, and managing compliance and client expectations. Much of this extra work is unrecognised, with clients often assuming AI should make services faster and cheaper.

Agency leaders say these mismatched expectations are straining relationships and creating financial risks. Simon Tokic, co-founder of Mind Methods, described a project where goodwill use of AI led to disputed fees and more than 80 hours of unbilled work. Sean Begg Flint, founder of Position Digital, said some clients now question whether fees should fall because of AI involvement, a trend he warned could undermine both teams and business models.

The study also sets AI within the wider context of agency pressures. Nearly half of burnt-out staff blame demanding clients, while three in ten cite unrealistic deadlines. Respondents reported cancelled holidays, sleepless nights and missed family time, with almost a quarter reconsidering their future in the industry due to overstretched teams.

Consultants argue that agencies need to push back against unrealistic expectations. Rob Sayles said firms risk “a race to the bottom” if they allow AI hype to dictate their value, urging leaders to define clearer scopes and monitor where hidden AI work is landing. Marcel Petitpas of Parakeeto suggested that agencies offering commoditised services are more vulnerable to pricing pressure, while those positioned as business problem-solvers are using AI to strengthen rather than weaken their value.

Stuart McLachlan of Resource Guru said AI could still be transformative if teams manage it effectively. He warned that without robust systems to track tasks and capacity, hidden AI-related work risks fuelling the same burnout it was supposed to prevent.

The Agency Overworking Report 2025 surveyed 2,000 UK desk workers, including 373 agency staff, and was conducted by OnePoll for Resource Guru.