Do generative AI tools save time, and will they make me more productive?

Possibly. However, given the need to check the output to make sure it's accurate and unbiased, it may take you longer than doing your usual search and evaluation. A recent study of open source software developers' use of generative AI tools in coding, showed that the perceived time-saving was not matched by reality (2025).

However, you may find generative AI tools, perform some tasks more quickly, freeing up your time to do something else. For example, if using a tool on a closed dataset such as your organisation's data to summarise long emails or multiple emails dealing with the same subject, you may find that you need to spend less time checking for accuracy.

(2025) Measuring the Impact of Early-2025 AI on Experienced Open-Source Developer Productivity. Becker, J. et al., Cornell University,arXiv:2507.09089. Available at: https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.09089.(Accessed: 30 July 2025)