NEW - First the Calculator, and now AI Is Doing the Work. That's Exactly the Problem

Shane Hewitt and The Nightshift · Feb 26, 2026 · 9m

AI and job satisfaction are moving in opposite directions and most workplaces haven't noticed yet. You finish the day having produced more than you ever could alone. You also finish it without the feeling that you did anything. A Harvard research study called the Progress Principle found that people who feel they accomplished something each day stay longer at their jobs and report higher satisfaction. AI is delivering the output without delivering that reward.

There's a famous story about cake mix companies requiring customers to add an egg. The egg wasn't necessary. But people felt like they…