AI's Biggest Impact Is Administrative

AI is changing my daily work, but not the way it was promised (as in, it would steal my job and burn down my house).

The real transformation is happening in the background, in the boring parts of the day: taking notes, organizing files, collecting to-dos, tracking what I’m waiting on. All the administrative friction keeps me from focusing on design and strategy.

All the administrative friction that once cluttered my focus is starting to fade. And that’s the shift that feels magical — not because it’s flashy, but because it quietly gives me back time to do what actually matters: design and strategy.

That’s where mainstream adoption will live. When AI removes friction, not purpose. When it clears the noise, not the meaning.

Yes, some roles will disappear. Companies will absolutely do more with fewer people. But there’s a difference between eliminating busywork and eliminating craft.

What People Actually Want

As every company races to call itself “AI-first,” it’s worth asking: do people really want to automate their entire jobs?

I don’t think so.

Most people don’t want magic-wand automation that strips the soul from their work. They want the opposite — to make the tedious parts effortless, so they can spend more energy on what they’re great at.

And we’re already seeing hints of this reality. Adoption is slowing down, not because people don’t believe in AI, but because they’re pausing to measure what’s actually working before adding more complexity. (Source)

Right now, we’re seeing early glimpses through things like MCP servers, AI agents, and workflow builders. But the real shift will come when all of that becomes invisible — when it’s just how work happens.

The winners won’t be the ones shouting “AI-powered!” the loudest.

They’ll be the ones who quietly make “work about work” disappear entirely.

That’s when it will feel like magic.

What does that mean for you?

AI’s biggest opportunity isn’t in replacing creativity — it’s in removing friction so creativity can thrive.

For designers, that means:

• Spending more time on research and problem-framing and less on pixel perfection.
• Synthesizing more data, faster, to create more well-rounded solutions.
• Focusing on crafting better experiences, instead of drowning in handoff guides and design specs.

The future of AI in work isn’t about replacing what we do best. It’s about clearing the path so we can do it even better.