Beyond Efficiency: Ben Eubanks on How to Use Time Freed by AI

In a recent LinkedIn post, Ben Eubanks explores the potential pitfalls of artificial intelligence adoption, arguing that organizations risk squandering the time saved by automation if they don’t have a strategic plan for its reallocation. Eubanks, who is the Founder and Principal Analyst at Lighthouse Research & Advisory, shared insights from his firm’s compensation research to illustrate how professionals would ideally utilize an extra hour in their workweek, contrasting this with the reality of simply answering more emails.

Eubanks highlights a common misconception about AI’s benefits, suggesting that the pursuit of efficiency alone misses a larger opportunity. He states:

“If you’re just using AI to speed things up, you’re missing the biggest value it can provide you in your work.”

The core of Eubanks’s argument centers on intentionality. He draws a parallel between managing time and managing money, emphasizing that without a deliberate plan for how to spend newly acquired time, it can easily be frittered away on less impactful tasks. This perspective is informed by research conducted by Lighthouse Research & Advisory, where participants were asked how they would invest an additional hour if it were made available to them.

Strategic Investment of Time: The Human Element

The research revealed a clear preference among compensation professionals for using reclaimed time on activities that foster personal and professional growth, rather than simply increasing output. Ben Eubanks notes that the ranked list of priorities for this hypothetical extra hour is fundamentally more human-centric.

According to Eubanks, the top priorities for utilizing freed-up time were:

• Working on personally important tasks.
• Focusing on strategic, long-term initiatives.
• Connecting with others and nurturing relationships.
• Gaining a broader perspective.
• Engaging in reflection rather than constant reaction.

Eubanks emphasizes that these choices leverage inherently human skills such as creativity, curiosity, and collaboration. He contrasts this with a sole focus on efficiency and productivity, which he suggests can be a narrow view of AI’s potential.

“The ranked list: 1) I’d work on things that are important to me. 2) I’d work on strategic things that matter long-term. 3) I’d work on connecting with others and deepening relationships. 4) I’d work on getting a bigger perspective. 5) I’d work on being more reflective instead of merely reactive.”

This research, as presented by Eubanks, suggests that the true value of AI lies not just in doing existing tasks faster, but in enabling professionals to dedicate more time to higher-value, more human-oriented activities.

The Risk of Unchecked Efficiency

Ben Eubanks warns against the common tendency to use time saved by AI for more of the same, or even less focused, work. He uses the analogy of a budget:

“It’s no different than a budget for your money. If you don’t plan ahead for how you will spend it with intent, you will look back and shake your head at tax time when you realize how much slipped through your fingers.”

In Eubanks’s view, AI should be seen as a tool that frees up cognitive bandwidth and actual hours, allowing individuals to engage in more strategic thinking, relationship building, and personal development. Without conscious effort and planning, this potential is easily lost, leading to a situation where more time is available but not necessarily used more effectively or meaningfully.

Ultimately, Eubanks’s post serves as a call to action for businesses and individuals to think critically about how they are integrating AI. The focus, he argues, should shift from merely automating tasks to strategically reallocating the time and resources gained, thereby unlocking the deeper, more human-centric benefits that AI can offer.