A new report from Foxit looks at how AI is being used to create and edit documents at work. The study finds the time saved is smaller than many executives expect, with leaders gaining about 16 minutes per week once time spent checking AI’s work is taken into account, while end users actually lose about 14 minutes of their time.
The State of Document Intelligence report is based on research conducted by Sapio Research. The survey included 1,000 desk-based employees and 400 senior executives responsible for introducing AI tools across organizations in the US and UK.
AI saves/wastes time
89 percent of executives and 79 percent of end users say they feel more productive since adopting AI tools. Executives estimate AI saves about 4.6 hours per week, while at the same time reporting spending around 4 hours and 20 minutes reviewing and verifying AI-generated content before using it.
End users report saving about 3.6 hours per week but spend around 3 hours and 50 minutes reviewing and correcting AI work. Foxit describes the time spent checking results as a growing “verification burden,” where employees need to confirm that AI-generated material is right before it can actually be used.
“AI accelerates creation, but it introduces new layers of review, fact-checking and correction,” said Evan Reiss, SVP of Marketing at Foxit. “What we’re seeing is a verification burden emerging inside document workflows. Time saved generating content is being absorbed by the time required to trust it. The next phase of document intelligence won’t be defined by more AI features, but by embedding accurate, transparent intelligence directly into workflows — reducing validation time while keeping humans firmly in control.”
The survey’s responses point to trust and security concerns as the biggest barriers to wider AI use. 36 percent of respondents cite data privacy and security concerns, 34 percent point to trust in AI output, and 25 percent identify response accuracy as a worry.
Confidence in AI differs greatly depending on the role of the respondent. 60 percent of executives say they are highly confident in AI-generated results, while about one third of end users report the same level of confidence.
One in four executives say they are extremely confident in AI accuracy, compared with one in ten end users. The report links the higher confidence with frequent AI use, which can leave leadership and staff relying on the same tools but viewing them very differently.
68 percent of executives say AI adoption has already led to restructuring or headcount changes in their organizations. 72 percent identify retraining or upskilling employees as a high or top priority, and just over 20 percent expect more than a quarter of roles to be affected.
Only 12 percent of end users say they are very concerned about job security. Both executives and employees rank over-reliance on AI for decision making as the top concern.
“The success of document intelligence depends as much on human confidence as on technical performance,” Reiss said. “Accuracy, transparency and clear human-in-the-loop design are the foundations of trust and therefore the foundations of adoption.”
You can access Foxit’s State of Document Intelligence report here.
What do you think about the gap between AI productivity claims and real-world results? Let us know in the comments.
