The Know Daily - Tuesday 28 April 2026

_{Read in 4m 55s ∙ Listening to Randy Newman∙}

Today is Pay It Forward Day 🤗  It’s all about doing little acts of kindness, not expecting anything in return and letting the good vibes ripple on. So here’s your reminder to buy your work bestie their flat white this morning, or tell that stranger you love their haircut. And, of course, we’re getting involved too by giving away 3 of our cosy (and very chic) sweatshirts. We’ll announce the winners on Friday 💖 

🤖 AI-Intensified workdays

AI is often promoted as a way to make working life easier, but the reality is a bit more complicated. A new report suggests it can instead intensify workloads by raising output expectations, speeding up work cycles and adding new layers of review.

Tell me more.
As reported by Harvard Business Review, a long-term study of hundreds of employees found that AI tools intensified workloads, with workers moving faster, taking on a broader range of tasks that might otherwise be done by others and extending their hour. What looks like higher productivity in the short term can hide a gradual increase in workload and mental strain.

That pattern shows up in other places too. Analysis highlighted in Fortune found that after AI adoption, time spent on work tasks rose sharply (in some cases by up to 300%), with emailing more than doubling and messaging jumping 145%. Broader data from over 160,000 employees shows focus efficiency has fallen to a three-year low of 60%. At the same time, disengagement with tasks now affects nearly one in four employees, even as burnout has dropped to around 5%. A separate global study of 2,500 workers and executives, reported by Forbes, found a similar disconnect: while most leaders expect AI to boost productivity, most employees say it’s increasing workload, with many unsure how to meet rising expectations.

So what’s going on?
On the positive side, AI is clearly speeding up a lot of knowledge work. Drafting documents, summarising meetings, generating code and analysing data can now happen in seconds rather than hours.

But there’s also a downside. Experts point to a “productivity expectation gap”: when AI makes tasks faster, organisations often expect more output in the same time. There’s also the “review tax” as AI-generated work still needs checking, especially in regulated or client-facing industries, meaning it often adds a second layer of work rather than replacing it. The result is work that is faster, but also more fragmented, continuous and harder to switch off from, which is reflected in trends like a 46% rise in weekend work for some employees.

What can be done about it?
At a company level, the key shift is expectation-setting. Leaders need to be clear whether AI is meant to increase output, improve quality or reduce hours – because trying to do all three at once is where challenges creep in. Some organisations are starting to experiment with “AI productivity budgets”, where time saved is translated into reduced workload rather than higher targets.

At an individual level, managing AI use can look like:

• Starting with your own ideas, then using AI to help shape them rather than create a finished work to copy-paste.

• Being clear on what you’re using AI for before you start (summarising, drafting or checking) so you don’t end up overusing it.

• Keeping a few core tasks AI-free so you stay sharp on fundamentals and don’t rely on it too heavily.

• Setting limits with AI use so that work doesn’t sneak into your personal time just because it’s easier to complete tasks.

• Thinking about productivity as more than output alone – include creativity, impact, and adaptability.

🗳️ MPs are set to vote today on whether Keir Starmer should face an investigation over claims he misled Parliament about Peter Mandelson’s vetting.

• The bigger story: The proposed move would see Starmer referred to Parliament’s privileges committee, which examines whether MPs have been misled. The conversation centres on what he knew about Mandelson’s failed security clearance before his proposed US ambassador role, and whether that information was accurately shared with MPs. If approved, it would trigger a formal inquiry – although Labour’s majority means the vote may not pass.

🐵 An orangutan has been filmed using a man-made canopy bridge for the first time – helping reconnect isolated groups and unite his community again in North Sumatra.

🙋‍♀️ A Swiss canton (a small subdivision of Switzerland) has gathered in a town square to take part in a centuries-old show-of-hands vote on local issues, continuing a tradition of direct democracy.

✈️ A new hybrid aeroplane that can take off in 50 metres is being tested in the hope it will be able to connect remote areas in Norway.

🧵 30 finalists have been named for the Loewe Craft Prize 2026, with entries spanning textiles, ceramics, jewellery and other applied arts.

🎙️ Seagull imitators have come together in Belgium to compete in a screeching contest. Don’t believe us? We’ve come with receipts!

🛰️ Your name can be written in Landsat images thanks to NASA’s fun tool – try it out here (definitely a fun one to pop on the team Slack channel this morning!).

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Trivia answer: A) The musician’s centenary will be marked in a concert with US trumpet virtuoso Ambrose Akinmusire.

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