Key Takeaways:

• Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve no doubt heard about the rise of AI assistants. You may have tried Microsoft Copilot, Notion AI, or Slack GPT, or maybe you already rely on them daily. These programs came about just as automation and remote work became huge areas of focus for many companies, creating the ideal atmosphere for AI.
• The goal is to reduce the amount of time spent on busywork. “Work about work”, or low-value tasks that are a necessary part of our jobs, takes up more than half of the day for most people. AI assistants are making huge strides in changing that reality.
• AI assistants aren’t perfect, but they can be hugely helpful in a few key areas. Namely: drafting or rephrasing content, summarizing large volumes of text, providing automated responses or templates, and automating recurring workflows.
• On the other hand, there’s a few areas that are still improving across AI platforms. You need to use caution when using these programs, and make sure to look out for: a lack of context awareness, non-nuanced decision-making, limited integration across apps, and accuracy issues. AI “hallucinations” are a real thing.
• The bottom line: AI is great for shaving time off of your busywork, but it’s not a replacement for your mind. Programs continue to learn and evolve, and one day AI assistants may even eliminate their current areas of concern. In the meantime, count on AI as a powerful tool—but not one that can replace the value you bring to your work.

Welcome to the future, folks! We are part-way through 2025 and AI assistants have exploded onto every platform imaginable. We’re talking Google, Microsoft, Notion, Slack, and even your browser is chiming in—because who doesn’t want a helpful buddy while scrolling through cat memes?

The promise was clear: AI would swoop in like a superhero, eliminating repetitive, tedious tasks and freeing us to focus on the work that really matters. Everyone who has access to a device can have their own personal AI assistant, designed to make their lives streamlined and stress-free. But has this new technology delivered?

Spoiler alert: reviews are mixed. A new age of work calls for a new assistant, and we are learning as we go.

The Rise of AI Assistants

What’s Happening?

Remember how exciting it was learning about “apps for everything”? It was a true game-changer how everything from building to banking had a handy app. Now, it’s all about “assistants for everything.” If you don’t have an AI assistant yet, you might be missing out. Some of the most common apps that people are using to level up every single day are:

• Microsoft Copilot, your new best friend when it comes to Office productivity.
• Notion AI is like that genius friend who always knows how to help with content creation and research.
• Slack GPT is there for smart summaries and workflows—because who has time to read long threads anymore?
• AI note-takers like Fathom will take notes and summarize meetings while you’re busy pretending to listen.
• And of course, the pioneer, ChatGPT, tackling everything from coding to writing emails.

Related Post: The Best AI Note-Taking Apps for Meetings

Why Now?

So, why is this happening right now? Faster AI models like GPT-4, Claude, and Gemini are making huge strides and constantly improving, at the same time that the demand for automation in remote and hybrid teams is skyrocketing. Plus, let’s face it, we’re drowning in digital clutter, and there’s a huge opportunity for smarter tools to help us swim.

The Busywork Problem AI Is Trying to Solve

Define “Busywork”

Busywork isn’t just work that keeps us busy, that would be all work, essentially.  Busywork refers to those necessary but low-value, menial tasks that suck the creativity right out of you—things like inbox management, meeting scheduling, note-taking, and all those copy/paste workflows. It’s the stuff that makes you feel busy but leaves you questioning what you actually accomplished in a day.

And this amount of busy work is actually a problem for many people. According to one study, people spend more than half of their day on busywork tasks. The research from Asana showed that people spent a whopping 58% of their day on “work about work”. Some of those tasks included searching for information and chasing status updates.

Where AI Assistants Excel (and Where They Don’t)

Where They Work Well

There’s been a lot of hype around AI assistants, and rightfully so. However, AI isn’t a master of all trades just yet. There are a few key areas where they tend to work really well.

Drafting and Rephrasing Content

AI assistants are fantastic at whipping up text that’s coherent and engaging. Whether you need a diplomatic email, a blog post, or even some social media captions, these digital buddies can generate ideas faster than you can say "writer’s block."

Need to say something differently? Just feed your preferred platform a sentence, and boom! You’ve got a gem that might even make your high school English teacher proud. Plus, they can help maintain a consistent tone throughout your writing. That being said, you always need to proofread (see comments below).  The programs aren’t perfect, but they can really level the playing field for people who are uncomfortable writing.

Summarizing Large Volumes of Text

Let’s face it—most of us don’t have the time to read every email or lengthy report in detail. AI assistants excel at digesting large amounts of information and providing concise summaries that capture the key points.

This is especially helpful for busy professionals who need to stay informed without drowning in a sea of text. Want a quick recap of that 30-page research paper? Your AI assistant can do that in seconds. Just remember to check the summary for accuracy, because sometimes it might miss the finer details.

Providing Structured Responses and Templates

Struggling with how to format your next project proposal? AI assistants can provide structured responses and templates that save you from reinventing the wheel every time. Whether you’re crafting a business proposal, writing an article, or preparing a presentation, these tools can offer outlines and frameworks that keep you organized and on track. It’s like having a personal assistant who knows all the best practices—without the awkward small talk.

Automating Recurring Workflows (Zapier + AI = Power Move)

When you combine AI with automation platforms like Zapier, you unlock a world of efficiency. Want to automatically draft an email every time you receive a new lead? Or perhaps create a task in your project management tool whenever someone books a meeting? AI can help streamline these repetitive workflows, allowing you to focus on the bigger picture. Think of it as a virtual conveyor belt that keeps your tasks flowing smoothly without you having to lift a finger.

Related Post: How AI Can Automate Your Everyday Tasks

Where They Struggle

Let’s not put AI on a pedestal just yet. There is absolutely a learning curve with these programs, and they can make mistakes. Don’t let one of those mistakes slip through on an email to your boss!

Context Awareness (Different Tones, Subtle Tasks)

While AI can generate text, you can’t count on it to understand context, especially when it comes to tone or subtle nuances. For instance, if you need a friendly email to a coworker versus a formal one to a client, the AI assistant might not always pick up on those differences.

Humor, sarcasm, and those emotional undertones we tend to pick up can easily get lost in translation, leading to awkward or misinterpreted messages. So, if you want that perfect mix of professionalism and personality, you need to take the time to make some adjustments.

Nuanced Decision-Making

AI assistants can crunch numbers and provide information, but they lack the human touch when it comes to complex decision-making. For example, if you’re faced with a difficult situation that requires understanding interpersonal dynamics or company culture, AI tools will struggle to provide the best course of action. It can offer data-driven suggestions, but when it comes to reading the room or making judgment calls that require empathy, you’ll need to rely on your own (human) instincts and experiences.

Task Execution Across Multiple Apps (Still Limited Integration)

While AI can help with individual tasks, it often struggles with executing tasks across various applications. For instance, you might want it to draft an email, pull data from a spreadsheet, and update a project management tool all in one go. Unfortunately, current AI assistants are not great at interacting with all your apps. You might find yourself doing a lot of copy-pasting or jumping between platforms, which kind of defeats the purpose of having an assistant in the first place.

Accuracy—Still Prone to Hallucinations

Above all, you need to remember that AI can sometimes be a bit too creative for its own good. While it can generate amazing content, it can also “hallucinate” facts–it’s been known to provide information that sounds plausible but is completely made up. AI isn’t just naturally all-knowing - it learns from sources that are already online. And we’ve probably all learned by now that reading something online doesn’t mean it’s true.

This can be particularly concerning when it comes to professional tasks where accuracy is crucial. So, while AI can be a great brainstorming partner, always double-check the facts before hitting send or publishing anything important.

The User Challenge

Many AI tools require users to learn a new system or prompting style, which has a bit of a learning curve. Instead of just getting things done, you might find yourself spending time figuring out how to communicate effectively with your AI. It’s been described as a  strange dance where you’re trying to get the AI to understand your rhythm.

The shift in busywork from performing tasks to mastering AI delegation can be frustrating, but once you get the hang of it, it can save you a ton of time. Just remember: patience, practice, and a sense of humor go a long way in this brave new world of AI assistance!

The Rise of the “AI Stack”

Emerging Trend

People are starting to build personalized AI workflows. Slack + Notion AI + Calendar + Email = an AI-managed day! It’s like assembling your best tools for productivity, in one place. AI is no longer just a tool; it’s becoming the interface of our digital lives.

Problems with Fragmentation

As of right now, AI assistants are still living in silos. There’s no “one assistant to rule them all” just yet, which means we’re still doing a lot of copy-pasting between tools. It can absolutely save you some time, but you have to be careful and cautious.

So… Are We Done With Busywork?

Short Answer: Not Quite.

But we’re definitely getting closer! AI is shaving off time from those repetitive tasks, but success really depends on choosing the right tools, structuring workflows intentionally, and staying aware of all the limitations.

Near Future Outlook

Looking ahead, we’re on the cusp of more integrated assistants with better cross-app context. Soon, we might not have to spend half our day training the AI to understand how we work!

A New Era of Digital Workflows

AI assistants are revolutionizing how we work, but they haven’t replaced the human brain (not yet, anyway). We’re on the edge of a major shift—from doing everything ourselves to orchestrating systems that do things for us. The real winners in this AI-driven landscape will be those who learn to use AI as a creative partner rather than a crutch.

Related Post: The Best AI Apps for Personal Productivity