Over the last few years, personal AI assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant have pretty much become a permanent part of our daily lives. From setting alarms, checking the weather, or turning off the lights, these devices …well, they just make things easier. But with all their help, are we becoming more efficient, or are we just getting lazy? 

Helping or Hindering Productivity?

One of the main draws of AI assistants is that they help us stay on top of tasks and organise our day. Voice commands can quickly add items to shopping lists, remind us of meetings, or even send a message to someone — all without lifting a finger!

For example, you’re in the middle of work and you remember you need to set a meeting up or send an email, just ask your assistant to do it and it’s sorted in a second - leaving you to stay focused on what you were doing. AI assistants also integrate with other apps or smart devices … need to send a quick email, check your calendar, or even manage smart home devices? Your personal assistant can do all that while you get on with your day.

So in terms of time management, there’s no doubt these devices save us some serious minutes. You don’t have to waste time searching for your phone or opening an app when you can just ask your assistant to do it for you. But when it comes to truly getting things done, are these devices really making us more productive, or are they just shifting the effort elsewhere?

Are We Losing the Ability to Think for Ourselves?

AI assistants can save us time but maybe relying on them for reminders, directions, and even basic calculations means we’re using less of our own memory.

For example, “What’s the weather like today?” or “How far is it from here to the nearest coffee shop?” These questions used to require us to remember, plan, or think ahead. But now, we can just ask our assistants. By constantly offloading this information to our devices, are we losing the ability to fully engage in the task. It’s not about AI being bad — is it perhaps about how much we let it take over?

Are We Too Dependent at Work?

AI assistants can help increase efficiency - handling routine tasks like scheduling meetings, sending quick replies, and managing emails. However, if AI does too much of the work, do we risk losing our involvement in the tasks that require creative thinking or problem-solving?

As an example, relying on an assistant to handle emails may save time, but it could also make us less engaged in the conversations happening in our inboxes. And always turning to AI for things that require us to think critically could mean we lose some of the ‘human’ initiative, even when it comes to aspects of our job that could help us grow.

The Social Impact: Are We Replacing Human Interaction?

Hard to maybe believe but is AI changing the way we interact with others? Rather than picking up the phone to call a friend or making plans spontaneously, it’s easy to let AI handle it for us. AI can suggest what to do next, whether it’s planning a dinner, booking a trip, or deciding what movie to watch. But by letting tech do all the thinking, we perhaps miss out on those small, spontaneous moments that make for the best memories!

Striking the Right Balance

At the end of the day, AI assistants can be incredibly helpful, but there’s perhaps a balance to be struck. Whilst there's no doubt they make life easier … and we actually don’t know what we’d do without them! … we need to make sure we’re also staying involved and engaged with the things that matter - like critical thinking, creativity and of course, our spontaneous selves!