Why AI Will Not Fix the Global Productivity Crisis, and What Will
- Dec 10, 2025
- 5 min read
Suzanne Rath is an executive health coach & speaker who gives people their vitality back. She does this through empowering them to take back just 20% more health for more purpose, productivity & prosperity.
When I lived in Sydney, one of my favourite times of the year was the Sydney Writers Festival. Walsh Bay is a stunning location, and the atmosphere is electric. Rooms hum with both free and paid conversations, stacks of beautiful books, and people immersed in ideas.
In almost every session, someone would ask the same question, "What is your writing process?" As if there were one magic way that could be copied and pasted into our own lives. As if the right routine would somehow turn all of us into writers overnight.
The truth is more grounded. Unless a book is churned out by AI, writing requires a clear vision, disciplined navigation, the ability to drive through difficulty, protected thinking time, and the right support systems. In many ways, the process mirrors my endures high-performance framework, which centres on seven pillars that help humans sustain energy, fulfilment, and productivity across long periods of complexity.
I would sit in those rooms and listen to every word. Partly because the writers were captivating, partly because I also hoped to write a book one day. I still do. Feel free to tell me what you would like me to write.
And in the same way people hunt for the perfect writing routine, we also devour articles about productivity hacks. I read many of them. Productivity is my professional playground. Yet, I know now that no single app or shortcut can transform a person’s output if the foundations are missing. Vision, mindset, self-leadership, focus, energy, rhythm, and purpose must come first.
Today, AI has become the new version of the writer’s process question. We attend keynotes, scroll through articles, and wait for someone to reveal the step-by-step method that will fix the productivity crisis. But emerging research is making something increasingly clear, AI is powerful, but it cannot deliver sustainable human productivity on its own.
Seven reasons why, along with what will work instead
1. AI can automate tasks, but it cannot upgrade your thinking
AI removes busy work if it is used correctly. In the wrong hands, we end up with an influx of what a Stanford study describes as "work slop." Leaders still need the ability to think deeply, decide wisely, and navigate complexity. When those foundational capabilities are underdeveloped, AI simply creates faster confusion, not better output.
What works instead: Build cognitive endurance. Protect deep focus. Train your mind the way elite performers train for clarity under pressure. This is why Catalysts such as Envision Peak, Anchor Conviction, and Activate Genius are so essential.
2. AI increases volume, but it often decreases quality
Recent research has shown that despite AI’s promise, meaningful productivity gains remain elusive. The technology is ready, but many workplaces are not. Poor workflows, unclear priorities, and outdated habits block any real benefit.
What works instead: Focus on excellence, not speed. Use Design Rhythm and Adapt Pace to ensure that teams understand what matters most and deliver fewer, higher-value outcomes.
3. Apps and AI cannot fix human behaviour
You can automate your calendar or inbox, but if you lack boundaries, discipline, emotional regulation, and self-leadership, you simply end up with a more efficient hamster wheel. This loop is what People Matters describes as the cycle of fake productivity.
What works instead: Shape mindset, build systems, and create rhythm. Fuel Spark and Fortify Strength help people stay centred, intentional, and strong enough to follow through.
4. Many organisations mistake activity for productivity
Research shows that 58 percent of employees admit to ghost working, which is pretending to be productive. No app or AI function can solve this because the issue is cultural. Productivity is not about movement. It is about meaning.
What works instead: Create clarity, connection, and accountability. Propel Ascent becomes important here because it helps leaders set direction with purpose and influence.
5. AI can execute tasks, but only humans can lead other humans
The productivity slump is not about the tools. It is about the system of work and the humans inside it. To thrive in modern environments, leadership must evolve from control to connection, from static processes to dynamic adaptability.
What works instead: Upgrade the leader before the tech. Leaders who understand their values, patterns, and blind spots make decisions that drive performance. ENDURES teaches this through Envision, Navigate, and Refocus.
6. AI still depends entirely on your inputs
When you feed AI chaos, confusion, or distraction, you get the same back. Workplace norms and human behaviours influence output more than tool selection ever will.
What works instead: Build mental clarity and energy rhythms. Use Refocus and Elevate to help people interrupt overwhelm, shift perspective, and act strategically.
7. AI cannot solve burnout and often accelerates it
History has shown this pattern repeatedly. Email, social media, chat platforms, and instant notifications were all introduced to improve efficiency, yet all of them contributed to rising distraction, higher cortisol, and reduced cognitive capacity. AI risks doing the same without strong human systems in place.
What works instead: Protect the brain. Prioritise recovery. Build resilience before the pressure arrives. Recovery within ENDURES is not optional. It is the foundation for sustainable performance.
The real causes of the productivity crisis
The problem has never been the tools. It has always been the humans inside the system. The biggest barriers remain:
Unclear priorities
Lack of boundaries
Depleted energy
Reactive behaviour
Emotional fatigue
Culture and connection gaps
Weak leadership structures
AI can help us move faster. It cannot make us better. It cannot make us braver. It cannot name the vision we are here to pursue.
If organisations want to lift productivity in 2026 and beyond, the solution is to raise humans who are accountable, appreciative, and action-taking, moving in the right direction for the right reasons. And this is the heart of my work.
I help leaders, teams, and organisations move from busyness to meaning, from reaction to control, and from output overload to sustainable high performance through my ENDURES framework and the 9 Catalysts. Whether through a keynote, a breakout session, an in-house workshop, or a tailored program, you can get in touch to learn how your people can become more purposeful and productive in 2026.
Read more from Suzanne Rath
Suzanne Rath, Executive Health Coach & Speaker
Suzanne Rath is a leader in the health and leadership field. A multi-award-winning Allied Health professional and health entrepreneur whose clinics are at the forefront of innovation and multi-disciplinary health care, her mission is to inspire a million people to take back control of their own health. Having thrived after a life-changing accident which sapped her vitality and later suffering leader burnout, Suzanne aims for participants in her programs to reclaim their vitality, becoming more purposeful, productive & prosperous through taking back control of just 20% more health.
