New research suggests that while AI is helping employees work faster, many businesses are creating a new layer of digital busywork that is eroding much of the productivity they hoped to gain.

The Rise Of The Copy And Paste Economy

Artificial intelligence is often presented as a tool that removes repetitive work, eliminates inefficiency and gives employees more time to focus on higher-value tasks.

However, according to new research from Workday, many organisations are discovering that AI can create new forms of work as well as eliminate existing ones. The company’s study of 2,400 UK professionals found that employees are increasingly spending large parts of their day moving information between disconnected systems, checking outputs and acting as the link between AI tools that do not naturally work together.

The result is what Workday calls the “copy/paste economy”, a workplace where workers spend significant amounts of time transferring information between applications rather than focusing on the work those applications are supposed to support.

According to the research, as many as one in four UK employees reported spending more than seven hours each week moving information between systems and reconciling data. More than eight in ten said they spend significant time coordinating work between teams, moving information between platforms or resolving conflicting data from different systems.

Employees Like AI More Than Many Assume

One of the most surprising findings in the report is that employees are not rejecting AI. In fact, the vast majority appear to be positive about both their jobs and the technology itself. Workday found that 97 per cent of UK employees rate their day-to-day work positively, while 81 per cent said AI has improved their work experience. More than half said AI has reduced task completion times, and 45 per cent reported that it has accelerated their work in a productive way.

Those findings seem to challenge the popular narrative that workers are resisting AI adoption. Instead, the research suggests that many employees are eager for AI to help them work more effectively. The problem is not the technology itself, but how organisations are deploying it.

When Faster Tasks Don’t Create Faster Work

Many businesses have introduced AI tools to help employees write documents, summarise information, answer questions or generate content.

Those capabilities can certainly save time on individual tasks, but the challenge is that work rarely consists of isolated tasks.

For example, information often needs to move between departments, applications, approval processes and business systems before a job is complete. If employees still need to manually transfer data between those systems, much of the productivity benefit can disappear.

As one IT director quoted in the report explained: “Dealing with system glitches, chasing approvals and constantly fixing or redoing work because of inconsistent data, it keeps me busy, but doesn’t feel like real progress.”

That distinction between activity and progress is central to the findings. Employees may be working hard, but much of their effort is spent compensating for fragmented systems rather than creating value.

The Human Middleware Problem

Workday’s report uses a particularly revealing phrase to describe what is happening. Many employees have effectively become “the glue” holding disconnected systems together. Rather than technology handling the flow of information automatically, workers are manually transferring data, reconciling inconsistencies and coordinating between applications. This is increasingly becoming one of the hidden costs of AI adoption.

Businesses may deploy multiple AI tools across different departments, but if those systems cannot share information effectively, employees become the human middleware connecting everything together.

One construction industry director quoted in the report described the impact of this fragmentation, saying: “My day often feels busy but not genuinely productive when I’m pulled into constant coordination tasks and system-related issues that interrupt focused, high-value work.”

The irony is that many organisations have invested in AI to reduce administrative work, only to create new administrative burdens elsewhere.

Why Embedded AI Performs Better

The research also points towards a solution. Only 23 per cent of UK organisations have deeply embedded AI into their core business systems and workflows. Most have instead added AI around the edges of existing processes.

According to the report, employees are already showing organisations how they want AI to work: “integrated directly into workflows, proactively surfacing insights and handling coordination in the background.” The difference appears quite significant.

For example, among organisations with AI integrated into core systems, 57 per cent of employees reported task reductions of 25 per cent or more. Where AI was not embedded into core systems, that figure fell to 39 per cent.

Workday argues that the most successful organisations are moving beyond task-oriented AI and towards workflow-oriented AI. Instead of simply drafting content or answering questions, AI becomes part of the process itself by monitoring activity, routing approvals, surfacing insights and coordinating work in the background.

This mirrors a wider trend emerging across the technology industry. Google’s Gemini Spark, Microsoft’s Copilot agents, OpenAI’s growing agent capabilities and Anthropic’s workflow automation initiatives all point towards a future where AI handles increasingly complex coordination tasks rather than individual requests.

What Does This Mean For Your Business?

The Workday research suggests many organisations may really be asking the wrong question about AI. Instead of focusing on whether a particular tool can save five minutes on a specific task, leaders may need to ask whether the overall process requires fewer steps. If employees are still copying information between systems, reconciling conflicting data and manually connecting workflows, the organisation may be automating tasks without truly improving productivity.

Perhaps the most important finding in the report is that employees appear ready for a different approach. As Workday concludes, employees increasingly expect AI to be “embedded, intelligent and invisible in the flow of work”, adding that “The new work day is not AI assisting with existing work, but work redesigned around what AI and humans each do best.”

That may prove to be one of the most important lessons of the AI era. The biggest gains are unlikely to come from adding more AI tools. They are more likely to come from redesigning how work flows through the organisation in the first place.

Google’s latest wave of AI announcements reveals a company that is moving beyond chatbots and search results, towards a future where AI agents actively perform tasks, manage information and work alongside users throughout the day.

Why Google’s Latest AI Updates Matter

At first glance, Google’s latest announcements appear to be a collection of unrelated AI features. For example, there is:

– Gmail Live, which allows users to search their inbox using natural conversation.

– Google Pics, an AI-powered image generation and editing tool.

– Gemini Omni, a new multimodal model capable of generating and editing video.

There are updates to AI Inbox, along with a new AI agent called Gemini Spark. However, when viewed together, a much clearer picture emerges.

Google is increasingly focused on moving AI beyond answering questions and towards taking action on behalf of users. In other words, the company is attempting to transform AI from a tool that provides information into a digital workforce that helps people get things done.

The Rise Of The AI Agent

Perhaps the clearest example of this strategy is Gemini Spark. Google describes Spark as a “24/7 personal AI agent” that can help users manage their digital lives, take action on their behalf and integrate with Workspace applications such as Gmail and Docs. The system runs on dedicated cloud infrastructure, meaning it can continue working even when a user’s laptop or phone is switched off.

According to Google’s announcement, Spark “helps you navigate your digital life, takes action on your behalf and is under your direction.”

This is significant because it moves beyond the traditional chatbot model. Instead of waiting for a user to ask a question, Spark is designed to complete longer-running tasks and manage activities across multiple applications.

The launch also places Google directly into competition with similar agentic AI offerings from OpenAI and Anthropic, both of which are pursuing the same vision of autonomous digital assistants.

Search Is Becoming Something New

The wider shift towards AI agents is also reshaping Google’s core business. For more than two decades, Google Search has largely revolved around helping users find information through lists of links. Increasingly, that model is changing.

Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode already provide direct answers to many queries, while upcoming features will introduce information-gathering agents capable of monitoring topics, tracking changes and presenting synthesised updates automatically.

This represents a major change in how information is discovered online. Instead of manually searching for information, users may increasingly rely on AI systems to find, monitor and summarise it for them.

For businesses that depend on website traffic, search visibility or content marketing, this trend is likely to become increasingly important.

Gmail Is Becoming An AI Knowledge Assistant

Another notable development is Gmail Live, which allows users to ask questions about their email using natural language.

Rather than searching for keywords, users can ask questions about flight details, appointment times or information contained within previous conversations. Gmail Live then searches the inbox and presents an answer conversationally.

Google says these new voice capabilities are designed to help users “brainstorm, organise your thoughts and get things done”.

Although this may appear to be a relatively small feature, it reflects a broader shift in how software is being designed. Instead of users learning how applications work, AI increasingly learns how users work.

Google Wants AI To Create As Well As Assist

It seems the company’s ambitions also extend beyond productivity and information management.

For example, Google Pics introduces AI-powered image generation and editing directly into Workspace, allowing users to modify individual objects, translate text within images and collaborate on visual projects without leaving Google’s ecosystem.

Google says the goal is to make image creation feel like “creative direction, not a roll of the dice”.

Alongside this, Gemini Omni expands Google’s generative capabilities into video. The model can combine images, video, audio and text as inputs while allowing users to edit videos through natural conversation. Google describes Omni as a system “where Gemini’s ability to reason meets the ability to create”.

Taken together, all these developments suggest Google increasingly views content creation as a conversational process rather than a collection of separate software tools.

What Does This Mean For Your Business?

The most important takeaway here is that Google’s announcements are not really about email, images or video. Instead, they reveal a company that is systematically embedding AI into every stage of digital work. Search is becoming more agentic, email is becoming more conversational, content creation is becoming more automated, and AI assistants are becoming more capable of taking action independently.

For businesses, this could create significant productivity opportunities. For example, it may mean employees spend less time searching for information, organising documents, drafting communications and creating content. At the same time, organisations that rely heavily on search traffic may need to prepare for a future where AI increasingly intermediates the relationship between users and websites.

Whether Google’s vision ultimately succeeds remains to be seen. What is already clear, however, is that the company believes the next phase of AI will involve systems that do far more than answer questions. Increasingly, they will be expected to carry out work on behalf of the people using them.

A Freedom of Information request has revealed that London’s Metropolitan Police requested communications data from technology companies more than 700,000 times during 2025, highlighting the scale of modern digital surveillance.

The requests covered mobile networks, email providers and online services. Although they generally did not involve message content, they could include metadata such as account details, IP addresses and contact records.

The figures also showed a nearly 500 per cent increase in requests to Lyca Mobile, while data was sought from services including Proton, Signal, Uber and Deliveroo. Some privacy-focused providers disputed aspects of the figures.

For businesses, the findings are a reminder that metadata can reveal a great deal about people, communications and behaviour, making data governance and privacy controls increasingly important.

A new mobile app called Wove is aiming to bring ingredient-style transparency to clothing, allowing shoppers to check garments for potential PFAS chemicals, microplastic risks and other hidden concerns before making a purchase.

Why Wove Has Been Created

Consumers have become increasingly accustomed to checking ingredients in food, cosmetics and household products. Clothing, however, remains one of the least transparent consumer categories despite spending most of the day in direct contact with the body.

Wove, a North Carolina-based consumer technology startup focused on clothing transparency, allows users to upload a product photo, screenshot, clothing label, shopping URL or product description. The Wove app then analyses the garment and produces a score based on factors including fibre composition, microplastic shedding potential, PFAS concerns and overall sustainability. According to the company, its goal is to reveal “the information brands don’t put on the label” and provide “transparency you can trust”.

The company is also keen to stress its independence, stating: “No manufacturer or brand can influence the scores or recommendations Wove provides. Every grade is earned, never purchased.” That positioning reflects growing consumer scepticism around sustainability claims and greenwashing across the fashion industry.

The Growing Concern Around Synthetic Fabrics

Growing awareness of microplastics and chemical exposure is helping to drive interest in tools such as Wove. According to figures cited by the company, synthetic fibres represented around 73 per cent of global fibre production in 2023, up from approximately 45 per cent in 1996. Polyester alone now accounts for more than half of all fibre production worldwide.

Microplastics are tiny plastic particles released as synthetic fabrics wear and are washed. These particles can enter waterways, oceans and ecosystems, contributing to a growing environmental challenge. PFAS chemicals, often used to provide water and stain resistance, have attracted increasing regulatory attention because they persist in the environment for extremely long periods and have been linked by researchers to a range of potential health concerns.

Despite growing awareness of microplastic pollution, research cited by Wove suggests many consumers still do not associate their clothing with the issue. A 2025 survey found that only 42 per cent of consumers who were aware of microplastics connected them directly to clothing, highlighting the knowledge gap the app is designed to address.

Regulation Is Adding Momentum

The launch also comes at a time when regulators are paying closer attention to chemicals used in textiles.

France introduced a ban on PFAS in textiles from January 2026, California already restricts intentionally added PFAS in clothing, and the European Union is tightening controls on related substances under its REACH chemicals framework. At the same time, public awareness has increased following documentaries such as Netflix’s The Plastic Detox, which highlighted concerns around microplastics, synthetic materials and chemical exposure.

Wove founder Emily Hemphill says the platform was inspired by the fact that many people have already made changes to areas such as food, drinking water and skincare products, while “clothing is often the last blind spot”.

Similar Services

Wove is not the only company attempting to improve transparency within the fashion industry, although its focus on chemical and microplastic exposure appears relatively distinctive.

Apps such as Good On You allow consumers to assess fashion brands based on environmental, labour and animal welfare criteria, helping shoppers compare thousands of brands using independent sustainability ratings. Other platforms such as Renoon focus on helping consumers discover products with stronger sustainability credentials, while services such as Save Your Wardrobe aim to extend garment life through repair, care and circular economy initiatives.

What sets Wove apart is its focus on the composition of individual garments rather than the sustainability performance of brands as a whole. By analysing specific products, it attempts to provide consumers with a more detailed understanding of what they are actually wearing and what environmental or health concerns may be associated with those materials.

What Does This Mean For Your Organisation?

The emergence of tools such as Wove reflects growing demand for transparency across supply chains. Consumers, regulators and investors increasingly want clearer information about the materials used in products and their environmental impact, and technology is making it easier than ever for people to access that information for themselves.

For clothing brands, retailers and manufacturers, this trend could increase pressure to provide more detailed information about fibre composition, chemical treatments and sustainability performance. Products that once relied on broad claims such as “eco-friendly” or “sustainable” may increasingly face scrutiny from consumers who expect more specific evidence about what materials are being used and how those materials affect health and the environment.

UK businesses should also view developments such as Wove in the context of wider sustainability and regulatory trends. As governments continue to tighten rules around chemicals, environmental reporting and product transparency, organisations that can clearly explain the contents and environmental impact of their products are likely to be better placed than those that cannot. Whether Wove itself becomes widely adopted remains to be seen, but the direction of travel is becoming increasingly clear: consumers are beginning to expect the same level of transparency from clothing that they already expect from food, cosmetics and other everyday products.

Microsoft 365 Copilot Search can find information across your emails, documents, chats, meetings and apps from a single search box, helping you locate answers faster, reduce time spent searching, and stay productive without constantly switching between different Microsoft 365 tools.

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Temporary Chat gives you a private, one-off conversation space in ChatGPT that isn’t saved to your chat history or Memory, making it ideal for discussing sensitive projects, client matters, HR issues, business planning, or other topics that you don’t want appearing in your regular chat history.

Why It Works

Most people use ChatGPT in the same chat environment all the time. Temporary Chat creates a separate space for conversations that you don’t want appearing in your normal chat history and don’t want influencing future conversations through Memory.

It’s particularly useful when you need help thinking through a sensitive business issue, drafting a confidential document, reviewing a commercial situation, or brainstorming ideas that are only relevant to a specific project.

How To Use It

1. Open ChatGPT.
2. Click the Temporary Chat icon, the dotted or broken speech bubble, near the top right of the screen.
3. A new Temporary Chat window will open.
4. Start your conversation as normal.
5. When you have finished, simply close the chat.
6. Return to your normal chats whenever you want to continue using your saved chat history and Memory.

What To Look For

You’ll see a Temporary Chat indicator within the conversation, confirming that the chat won’t appear in your history and won’t be used to update Memory.

The Business Benefit

Temporary Chat helps keep sensitive discussions separate from your everyday work, reduces clutter in your chat history, and provides a convenient way to discuss one-off projects, client matters, HR issues, and other sensitive topics without them becoming part of your ongoing ChatGPT record.