Cisco’s Chief People Officer Kelly Jones has issued a stark warning to companies rushing to adopt AI: the “worst thing” organizations can do is burden employees with additional work once they’ve used AI tools to free up time. In an interview with Business Insider, Jones emphasized that during this critical early stage of AI adoption, companies risk “killing innovation” by treating AI-driven productivity gains as an opportunity to increase workloads rather than genuinely improving employee experiences.
The warning comes as companies across industries report significant productivity improvements from AI tools, yet employees aren’t necessarily experiencing shorter workdays. A telling example: one Microsoft manager reported that AI reduced his coding time—previously the bulk of his workload—by 70%, yet his overall workload remained unchanged. This disconnect highlights a growing tension in workplace AI adoption.
Many corporate leaders have framed AI as a tool to enable “deep work” rather than suggesting employees might gain actual free time. Jones argues this approach is fundamentally flawed. AI adoption should be positioned as genuinely helping employees reclaim portions of their day, not as justification for piling on “three new things” for workers to accomplish. She stressed that AI initiatives must be “really relevant” to employees’ daily tasks rather than becoming yet another management mandate.
The reality of AI in the workplace has created interesting dynamics. Some employees have found creative ways to leverage AI tools—one software engineer told Business Insider he uses AI to complete half his tasks, spending remaining time on Reddit and YouTube. Jones’s perspective? If employees produce better work in less time, “there’s no negative to that” at this stage of the innovation cycle.
Looking ahead, Jones identified the critical challenge facing HR departments: determining how to redistribute work and redesign roles as AI capabilities expand. Over the next one to two years, she predicts HR will shift from “managing jobs to redesigning work,” helping organizations determine which tasks should be allocated to humans versus AI, and how the two can work together effectively. This transition represents a fundamental reimagining of workplace structure in the AI era.
Key Quotes
When you get into the space of AI experimentation, one of the most important things to do is not kill innovation when you’re starting it.
Kelly Jones, Cisco’s Chief People Officer, emphasized that companies must avoid stifling AI adoption by immediately burdening employees with additional work after they achieve productivity gains through AI tools.
If employees are doing better work in less time, there’s no negative to that.
Jones defended employees who use AI to complete tasks more efficiently, even if they use the saved time for personal activities, arguing that at this stage of innovation, faster completion of quality work should be encouraged rather than penalized.
We are really at this precipice where we’re going to be moving from managing jobs to redesigning work.
Jones described the fundamental shift facing HR departments as they navigate AI adoption, predicting that the next one to two years will focus on determining how to allocate work between humans and AI systems.
Our Take
Jones’s warning reveals a critical blind spot in corporate AI strategy: the assumption that productivity gains automatically translate to business value without considering employee experience. This approach risks creating a productivity paradox where AI tools technically work but fail to deliver promised benefits because employees resist or game the system. The Microsoft manager’s 70% time savings with no workload reduction exemplifies how companies squander AI’s potential by treating it as an intensification tool rather than a transformation opportunity. The most forward-thinking organizations will recognize that allowing employees to genuinely benefit from AI-driven efficiency—whether through reduced hours, more creative work, or professional development time—creates a virtuous cycle of adoption and innovation. Companies that instead view AI as a mechanism to extract more output from the same headcount will likely face retention challenges and cultural backlash that undermines their AI investments entirely.
Why This Matters
This story captures a critical inflection point in workplace AI adoption that will shape how millions of employees experience artificial intelligence tools. Jones’s warning addresses a fundamental trust issue: if companies immediately fill AI-generated time savings with more work, employees will resist adoption and view AI as a tool for exploitation rather than empowerment. This could significantly slow the $4.4 trillion productivity potential that McKinsey estimates AI could unlock globally.
The disconnect between productivity gains and actual workload reduction reveals a broader challenge facing the AI revolution. As organizations invest billions in AI tools, the human side of implementation often receives insufficient attention. Jones’s perspective from Cisco—a major technology company at the forefront of AI adoption—carries particular weight for HR leaders and executives navigating these changes.
The shift from “managing jobs to redesigning work” signals a fundamental transformation in organizational structure that extends far beyond simple automation. How companies handle this transition will determine whether AI becomes a tool for genuine workplace improvement or simply intensifies existing pressures on workers, with profound implications for employee satisfaction, retention, and the future of work itself.
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Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/cisco-hr-boss-warns-against-piling-work-after-ai-gains-2026-1