Upwork Research Reveals New Insights Into the AI-Human Work Dynamic
Upwork (NASDAQ:UPWK) has released a comprehensive study revealing crucial insights into AI-human workplace dynamics. The research shows workers using AI report a 40% productivity boost, but with significant drawbacks. Among high-performing AI users, 88% report burnout and are twice as likely to consider quitting their jobs.
The study, based on 2,500 global workers, reveals that monthly searches for AI-skilled talent on Upwork have surged 300% in the past six months. Notably, freelancers are showing more positive AI adaptation than full-time employees, with 90% reporting accelerated skill acquisition through AI. However, concerning trends show that over two-thirds of high-performing AI users trust AI more than their coworkers, signaling a shift in workplace dynamics.
Upwork (NASDAQ:UPWK) ha pubblicato uno studio approfondito che rivela importanti informazioni sulle dinamiche tra AI e lavoratori. La ricerca mostra che i lavoratori che utilizzano l'AI registrano un aumento della produttività del 40%, ma con notevoli svantaggi. Tra gli utenti di AI ad alte prestazioni, l'88% segnala esaurimento professionale e hanno il doppio delle probabilità di considerare di lasciare il lavoro.
Lo studio, basato su 2.500 lavoratori a livello globale, evidenzia che le ricerche mensili di talenti con competenze in AI su Upwork sono aumentate del 300% negli ultimi sei mesi. In particolare, i freelance mostrano un adattamento più positivo all'AI rispetto ai dipendenti a tempo pieno, con il 90% che segnala un'accelerazione nell'acquisizione di competenze grazie all'AI. Tuttavia, trend preoccupanti indicano che oltre due terzi degli utenti di AI ad alte prestazioni si fidano più dell'AI che dei loro colleghi, segnalando un cambiamento nelle dinamiche lavorative.
Upwork (NASDAQ:UPWK) ha publicado un estudio exhaustivo que revela información crucial sobre la dinámica entre humanos e inteligencia artificial en el trabajo. La investigación muestra que los trabajadores que usan IA reportan un aumento del 40% en productividad, pero con importantes inconvenientes. Entre los usuarios de IA de alto rendimiento, el 88% reporta agotamiento y tienen el doble de probabilidades de considerar dejar su empleo.
El estudio, basado en 2,500 trabajadores globales, revela que las búsquedas mensuales de talento con habilidades en IA en Upwork han aumentado un 300% en los últimos seis meses. Notablemente, los freelancers muestran una adaptación más positiva a la IA que los empleados a tiempo completo, con un 90% que reporta una adquisición acelerada de habilidades gracias a la IA. Sin embargo, tendencias preocupantes muestran que más de dos tercios de los usuarios de IA de alto rendimiento confían más en la IA que en sus compañeros, señalando un cambio en la dinámica laboral.
Upwork (NASDAQ:UPWK)가 AI와 인간의 직장 내 상호작용에 관한 중요한 통찰을 담은 종합 연구 결과를 발표했습니다. 연구에 따르면 AI를 사용하는 근로자들은 생산성이 40% 증가했으나, 상당한 부작용도 나타났습니다. 고성과 AI 사용자 중 88%가 번아웃을 경험하며, 두 배나 더 많은 비율로 직장을 그만둘 생각을 하고 있습니다.
전 세계 2,500명의 근로자를 대상으로 한 이 연구는 최근 6개월간 Upwork에서 AI 기술 인재에 대한 월간 검색이 300% 증가했음을 보여줍니다. 특히 프리랜서들이 정규직 직원보다 AI 적응에 더 긍정적이며, 90%가 AI를 통해 기술 습득 속도가 빨라졌다고 보고했습니다. 하지만 우려스러운 점은 고성과 AI 사용자 중 3분의 2 이상이 동료보다 AI를 더 신뢰한다는 점으로, 직장 내 역학 변화가 감지됩니다.
Upwork (NASDAQ:UPWK) a publié une étude complète révélant des informations clés sur la dynamique entre l'IA et les humains au travail. La recherche montre que les travailleurs utilisant l'IA constatent une augmentation de productivité de 40%, mais avec des inconvénients importants. Parmi les utilisateurs d'IA les plus performants, 88% signalent un épuisement professionnel et sont deux fois plus susceptibles d'envisager de quitter leur emploi.
L'étude, basée sur 2 500 travailleurs à l'échelle mondiale, révèle que les recherches mensuelles de talents qualifiés en IA sur Upwork ont augmenté de 300% au cours des six derniers mois. Notamment, les freelances montrent une adaptation plus positive à l'IA que les employés à temps plein, avec 90% déclarant une acquisition accélérée de compétences grâce à l'IA. Cependant, des tendances préoccupantes montrent que plus des deux tiers des utilisateurs d'IA les plus performants font davantage confiance à l'IA qu'à leurs collègues, indiquant un changement dans la dynamique du lieu de travail.
Upwork (NASDAQ:UPWK) hat eine umfassende Studie veröffentlicht, die wichtige Einblicke in die Dynamik zwischen KI und Menschen am Arbeitsplatz liefert. Die Forschung zeigt, dass Arbeitnehmer, die KI nutzen, eine Produktivitätssteigerung von 40% verzeichnen, allerdings mit erheblichen Nachteilen. Unter den leistungsstarken KI-Nutzern berichten 88% von Burnout und sind doppelt so wahrscheinlich geneigt, ihren Job zu kündigen.
Die Studie, basierend auf 2.500 globalen Arbeitnehmern, zeigt, dass die monatlichen Suchanfragen nach KI-fähigen Talenten auf Upwork in den letzten sechs Monaten um 300% gestiegen sind. Auffällig ist, dass Freelancer eine positivere KI-Anpassung zeigen als Vollzeitbeschäftigte, wobei 90% eine beschleunigte Kompetenzentwicklung durch KI berichten. Besorgniserregend ist jedoch, dass über zwei Drittel der leistungsstarken KI-Nutzer der KI mehr vertrauen als ihren Kollegen, was auf eine Veränderung der Arbeitsplatzdynamik hinweist.
- Monthly searches for AI-skilled talent increased 300% over six months
- Workers report 40% productivity boost with AI implementation
- 90% of freelancers say AI helps them acquire new skills faster
- 77% of C-suite leaders observe productivity gains from AI adoption
- 88% of high-performing AI users report experiencing burnout
- Top AI performers are twice as likely to consider quitting their jobs
- 62% of workers don't understand how their AI use aligns with company goals
- Over two-thirds of users trust AI more than human coworkers, indicating concerning workplace dynamics
Insights
Upwork's research shows AI boosts productivity 40% but increases burnout, with freelancers adapting better than full-time employees.
Upwork's latest research reveals the complex evolution of AI from tool to teammate in professional settings, highlighting both opportunities and challenges for the company's marketplace positioning. The study shows workers reporting an impressive
However, the data exposes a critical sustainability problem: the most productive AI users report alarming burnout rates (
Most notably for Upwork's business model, the research identifies freelancers as models of healthier AI integration. Unlike their full-time counterparts, independent professionals are leveraging AI primarily as a learning accelerator, with
The
As AI drives productivity gains, new data from Upwork reveals early warning signs from top AI adopters, highlighting the need for new ways of working that sustain both performance and well-being
PALO ALTO, Calif., July 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Upwork Inc. (Nasdaq: UPWK), the world’s work marketplace, today released a study by the Upwork Research Institute revealing that AI is not just accelerating productivity, but also moving from being a tool to a teammate, reshaping how organizations design roles, build teams, and sustain human connection in the workplace. The findings show that productivity gains are only sustainable when AI augments, not replaces, human connection, purpose, and growth.
The study, From Tools to Teammates: Navigating the New Human-AI Relationship, is the latest installment in a multi-year research series examining the evolving relationship between AI, productivity, and the workforce. Building on last year’s findings—where
Based on a global survey of 2,500 workers, including C-suite executives, full-time employees, and independent freelancers, the new research offers a timely look at how AI is reshaping not just how work gets done, but how individuals relate to their tools, teams, and organizations. The findings come as AI and AI agents are becoming increasingly embedded in workflows. Monthly searches for Upwork talent skilled in AI agents have grown nearly
“AI is no longer just a background tool—it’s becoming a central part of how we work and interact,” said Dr. Kelly Monahan, managing director of the Upwork Research Institute. “It’s unlocking speed and scale, but also reshaping how we collaborate and connect as humans. The productivity paradox we’re seeing may be a natural growing pain of traditional work systems, ones that reward output with AI, but overlook the human relationships behind that work. To lead effectively in the age of AI, companies need to redesign work in ways that support not just efficiency, but also well-being, trust, and long-term resilience.”
Key findings from the report include:
- Productivity gains are accelerating: Employees using AI report a
40% boost in productivity on average. This improvement is fueled by increased comfort with the tools because they’ve had time to experiment (according to30% of respondents), continued product enhancements of tools (25% ), self-directed upskilling (22% ), and employer-supported training (22% ). Organizations are seeing the payoff, as77% of C-suite leaders say they’ve observed productivity gains from AI adoption across their teams in the past year. - But productivity comes at a cost: Workers who report the highest productivity gains due to AI are also the most burned out:
88% say they are experiencing burnout, and they are twice as likely to consider quitting, compared to workers who are less productive with AI tools. Many of these top performers also feel disconnected from their organization’s broader AI strategy, as62% say they don’t understand how their daily use of AI aligns with company goals. This disconnect highlights an emerging risk: Without clear alignment and support, even the most proficient AI users become flight risks. - Workplace trust and connection are shifting: More than two-thirds of high-performing AI users say they trust AI more than their coworkers, and
64% say they have a better relationship with AI than with human colleagues. The majority of high-performing AI users say AI is more polite and empathetic than their teammates, prompting a reevaluation of what “teamwork” looks like. - The rise of AI-human dynamics: Nearly half of all workers say “please” and “thank you” with every single request submitted to AI, and
87% phrase requests as if to a human coworker at least some of the time. This trend toward anthropomorphizing AI reveals the emotional depth of the human-AI relationship and signals that organizations may need to rethink how they design communication norms, workflows, and team dynamics. - Freelancers model healthier relationships with AI: Unlike many full-time employees, freelancers appear to thrive alongside AI. Nearly nine in 10 freelancers say AI has a positive impact on their work, and
42% credit it with helping them specialize in a particular niche. These workers are using AI primarily as a learning partner, with90% saying it helps them acquire new skills faster. Freelancers are also more likely than FTEs to see a direct link between AI use, skill development, and tangible career outcomes like productivity gains and business growth.
“We’re observing a major inflection point in how work gets done,” said Dr. Gabby Burlacu, senior research manager of the Upwork Research Institute. “Over three-quarters of C-suite leaders and employees believe AI agents will completely reinvent the way people work. The real opportunity isn’t just deploying AI; it’s designing the organizational systems where humans and AI can thrive together.”
The path to sustainable, AI-empowered organizations requires reimagining work not as a zero-sum game between humans and machines, but as a dynamic collaboration, where AI evolves from tool to teammate, and people are empowered to thrive alongside it. These findings show that doing so will require more than technical adoption: it will demand new organizational models that prioritize human connection, flexible talent ecosystems, and responsible AI design. As AI accelerates, the organizations best positioned to adapt will be those willing to rethink not only how work gets done, but how their organizations can be redesigned to deliver for the long-run.
For the full study, findings and insights, visit: https://www.upwork.com/research/navigating-human-ai-relationships.
To explore more research from the Upwork Research Institute, visit: https://www.upwork.com/research.
About the Survey
Research findings are based on a survey conducted by Walr, on behalf of Upwork and Workplace Intelligence, between March 25 and April 9, 2025. The survey targeted respondents in the U.S., U.K., Australia, and Canada. In total, 2,500 global workers completed the survey, including 1,250 C-suite executives, 625 full-time, salaried employees, and 625 freelancers. The survey sampled a mix of male and female respondents, as well as a mix of respondents from different generations (Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Baby Boomers). All respondents were between the ages of 18 and 78, were required to have at least a high school diploma, and were required to use a laptop or computer for their work at least “sometimes.” Employees in the top quartile for self-reported AI-related productivity gains were compared to their peers along dimensions of burnout, intentions to quit, and preference for AI tools vs. human colleagues.
About Upwork
Upwork is the world’s largest work marketplace that connects businesses with highly skilled, AI-enabled independent talent from across the globe. From entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 enterprises, companies rely on Upwork’s trusted platform and its mindful AI companion, Uma, to find and hire expert talent, leverage AI-powered work solutions, and drive business transformation. With on-demand access to professionals spanning more than 10,000 skills across AI & machine learning, software development, sales & marketing, customer support, finance & accounting, and more, Upwork enables businesses of all sizes to scale, innovate, and build agile teams for the age of AI and beyond.
Upwork’s platform has facilitated more than
Contact:
Christine Lee
press@upwork.com
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