OpenAI claims AI tools save workers up to an hour a day

OpenAI said its AI tools are helping workers save between 40 and 60 minutes a day on average, based on a survey of 9,000 employees across 100 companies.

The findings, released as debate continues over AI’s actual impact on productivity, showed that users in data science, engineering, communications, and accounting reported the most time saved.

OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, also reported that 75% of surveyed workers felt AI improved the speed or quality of their work.

The company’s survey comes amid skepticism from academic studies, including recent reports by MIT, Harvard, and Stanford, which found limited productivity gains and concerns over the quality of AI-generated work.

OpenAI said its enterprise AI products now have over 1 million business customers and 7 million paid workplace users.

The survey polled employees three to four weeks after they began using the tools, with heavier users reporting greater benefits.

🔗 Source: Bloomberg

🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

Self-reported time savings lack solid proof

OpenAI says users save 40 to 60 minutes a day, based on self-reported surveys done 3 to 4 weeks after rollout, with little method detail shared 1.
An MIT review of 300 public AI rollouts found 95% of organizations saw no measurable financial returns despite $30 to $40 billion spent 2.
Academic researchers use the term “workslop” for AI output that looks polished but adds little value, which raises quality concerns beyond speed metrics 1.
Reliable ROI measurement needs control groups, tracking that runs for months, and objective telemetry tied to workplace systems rather than user surveys 3.

Buyers can ask for third-party ROI audits

This gap opens room for neutral third-party platforms that run controlled tests, plug into Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) plus Business Intelligence (BI) systems, and deliver Chief Financial Officer (CFO) grade productivity reporting 4.
CFOs can require vendors to support independent ROI tracking via real-time dashboards for resolution times, automation rates, and cost savings rather than surveys 5.
Top performers see over 500% ROI after upfront investment in governance that sets performance monitoring and risk escalation, lifting returns by 40 to 60% over peers 3.
Savvy buyers should set baselines before rollout 6. They should demand multi-year measurement that captures hard returns like labor cost reduction plus soft returns like decision quality 6.