Automation for Whose Benefit? -- Rethinking Automation Before It Is Implemented --

This paper examines automation from the perspective of the employee who implements it, rather than solely from the perspective of organizational productivity. Automation can reduce the time required for individual tasks, but the resulting capacity may simply be filled with additional work. As a result, an employee may become more productive without experiencing a reduction in workload or an increase in compensation. The paper argues that the benefits of automation for an organization and the benefits for the individual implementing it do not necessarily coincide. It also discusses how technically skilled employees may be particularly prone to focusing on the satisfaction of solving inefficiencies while overlooking how their increased efficiency may affect their future workload and responsibilities. The same issue applies to generative AI, as well as earlier forms of automation such as macros, programming, robotic process automation (RPA), and business systems. The paper concludes by proposing that employees should consider not only whether a task can be automated, but also whether automating it will actually benefit them.