Why Productivity Is the Wrong AI Goal
Data science leader Dr. Andrea Jones Roy says the future of work will reward AI literacy, curiosity, ownership, and better judgment — not just faster output.
In This Edition
- Why AI work needs better thinking
- UW builds an AI tool for research videos
- Google loses more AI talent to Anthropic
- Some AI tools worth testing
The Big Story
AI Won’t Fix Bad Work Habits
What happened
In a conversation with Allie K. Miller, Dr. Andrea Jones Roy discussed how AI is changing professional work, from coding and research to enterprise collaboration and hiring. She argued that AI can be a powerful teammate when it helps people think bigger, spot duplicated work, and build better systems, but warned against using it carelessly for personnel decisions. On layoffs, she pushed back on the idea that AI is always the direct cause, saying many companies are also restructuring toward flatter organizations, smaller high-expertise teams, and employees who show ownership, AI literacy, and strong judgment.
Three takeaways
- AI adoption works better when teams treat it as a collaborator for thinking, testing, and improving work — not just a shortcut for producing more output.
- Layoffs tied to AI are not always clear-cut, because many companies are also using this moment to rethink team structure, management layers, and the skills they value.
- The most important workplace skills in the AI age may be curiosity, critical thinking, creativity, and the ability to measure what actually matters.
Two Quick Hits
UW Builds an AI Tool for Research Videos
University of Washington researchers created PaperTok, an AI tool that helps researchers turn academic papers into short, engaging videos. The system uses Google Gemini to generate hooks, scripts, and storyboards, while keeping researchers involved in editing and approving the final result.
Google Loses More AI Talent to Anthropic
Two senior AI researchers who worked on Google’s Gemini project are reportedly leaving for Anthropic. The moves add to growing concerns about how hard it is for major tech companies to retain the small group of experts capable of advancing frontier AI systems.
Some Tools To Try Out
Maestro
Maestro helps educators create teaching support that adapts to their students, subject, and classroom style.
Relay
Builds an AI phone receptionist from a business website that can answer calls, book appointments, and handle reschedules.
SnapVee Studio
Brings video processing, transcription, summaries, copy polishing, and AI content creation into one workspace.
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