AI creating more work is the central finding of a Forbes business-technology roundup published October 25, 2026, which pairs new workload research with small-business tool launches. A Jabra study of more than 6,000 knowledge workers found workloads up in every profession examined, and a Monday.com-commissioned Nielsen survey of 1,700 directors and senior managers found evaluation getting harder. For owners, the issue is whether new features save hours or add a layer of review.
Key Takeaways
- 85% of workers said AI increased at least one type of work.
- More than half of leaders find employees’ work harder to evaluate.
- Gemini hub tools roll out globally to an app used by tens of millions.
- Forrester forecasts AI at 20% of business tech spending in 2027.
Surveys Show AI Creating More Work
The roundup, drawing on KRON4, highlights Jabra’s study Worklife 2026: The New Shape of Work. Researchers surveyed more than 6,000 knowledge workers across six countries, including the United States. In every profession examined, employees said AI had increased their workloads.
Eighty-five percent reported an increase in at least one type of work due to AI, while only 35 percent said AI had reduced any part of their workload. Forty-two percent said they collaborate more than a year ago, compared with 13 percent who reported less. Sixty-four percent of frequent AI users reported more collaboration, compared with 25 percent of less frequent users.
| Finding | Share | Survey |
|---|---|---|
| Work up in at least one area | 85% | Jabra |
| Any workload reduced | 35% | Jabra |
| More collaboration than a year ago | 42% | Jabra |
| Harder to evaluate employees’ work | More than half | Nielsen |
| Changed how staff are evaluated | 78% | Nielsen |
| More tools than before | Fifty-seven percent | Nielsen |
Why Managers Spend More Time Reviewing
A TechCrunch report on the Monday.com survey covers those 1,700 directors and senior managers in seven countries. More than half said employees’ work is harder to evaluate after AI adoption, because polished output blurs employee work and model work. Nearly half spend more time reviewing and guiding output than they used to.
Ninety-four percent were excited to improve work with AI. Michal Miller Levi, head of market research and customer insights at Monday.com, told TechCrunch:
“Their struggle is [due to] the fact that AI is just moving faster than the organizational processes.”
The same survey shows how evaluation and software stacks are shifting:
- 78 percent changed how they evaluate staff, weighting prompts, AI delegation, and experimentation.
- 46 percent use AI to inform decisions, and 39 percent use it to draft performance reviews.
- Fifty-seven percent report more tools, and about 51 percent say tools are more interdependent.
- Only 29 percent described AI infrastructure as fully optimized and centralized.
Levi said managers ended 2025 expecting fewer apps, then saw the opposite. “More than 50% are saying that they’re using more tools now than they did last year, and it’s not stopping,” she said.
Fifty-eight percent expect to oversee more AI agents than human employees within a year. Forty-six percent worry about losing control, and 35 percent fear responsibility for AI decisions. TechCrunch also noted a 2025 paper finding that models can be biased against black male candidates.
Small-Business Tools Still Rolling Out
Google said its Gemini app, used by “tens of millions of small businesses,” is adding a hub for branding, financial analysis, and customer insights. Connections include Google Business Profile, Google Ads, Google Workspace, Adobe, Canva, Dropbox, and Shopify. Owners can upload a website, logo, fonts, and colors so Nano Banana 2.1 can produce consistent marketing images, and Gemini can turn spreadsheets or purchase records into financial graphics. The tools begin rolling out globally over the coming days to all Gemini app users.
Zoom said Claude can schedule meetings, update records, track projects, and generate invoices with reminders once Zoom and Bonsai connectors are linked. Zoom says that connector setup takes a few minutes.
Ted Taylor, who operates three co-branded Schlotzsky’s and Cinnabon restaurants in New Mexico, uses ChatGPT and ChatGPT Work for menu pricing, scheduling, payroll, and financial management. The roundup headline says he reconciles cash in 94% less time. Speaking about menu-pricing time in an OpenAI case study cited by Forbes, Taylor said, “ChatGPT Work tears through it in a matter of moments.” He estimates improved scheduling could free $50,000 to $100,000 a year, a gain not yet realized.
Forrester’s 2027 predictions, cited via Business Wire, forecast AI at 20 percent of business technology spending in 2027, with global tech investment expected to reach $6.1 trillion. “AI will command an unprecedented share of technology budgets,” said Sharyn Leaver, Forrester’s chief research officer. The roundup’s commentary says small businesses will not spend 20 percent of tech money on AI in 2027, and that the author’s clients will expand AI inside applications they already own. The same note says businesses face pressure to show ROI while costs and cybersecurity threats rise.
What SMB Owners Should Plan For
Read across both surveys, the pattern is extra coordination: more collaboration, more review, and more tools. That is analysis of these findings, not a claim that every small team will add headcount. Treat manager time as part of the AI budget.
Treat the $50,000 to $100,000 scheduling range as unrealized. Companies following outside capital aimed at small-business AI, or role resets at large employers, still need a named person checking agents before those agents outnumber staff.
