The downside to using AI for all those boring tasks

Some managers make space in the workday for repetitive, low-intensity tasks where creative sparks can fly

- Callum Borchers

Workdays without busywork are closer to reality than ever, thanks to artificial intelligence.

AI tools that can sort and summarize emails, take meeting notes and file expense reports promise to free us to concentrate on the important stuff.

This sounds great. The catch is that our brains aren't capable of thinking big thoughts nonstop. And we risk forfeiting the epiphanies that sometimes spring to mind while doing easy, repetitive job functions.

Aflac chief executive Dan Amos dots his calendar with low-intensity tasks that could be delegated to an assistant or a bot. After meetings, he takes a few minutes to digest key points and reflect on what he said. He sends handwritten notes to employees who receive bonuses or retire, often following a familiar script but never taking a shortcut past paper and ink.

These practices are partly about old-fashioned habits and personal touches. They are also about taking mental breaks, or leaving space for creative sparks to fly. It's the same principle as thinking in the shower-putting your brain on autopilot until it goes, “Aha!”

Amos's favorite idea incubator is the steam room after a workout. He often steps out of the fog with a clear thought and dashes off an email about it.

His commitment to short breaks is so strong that Amos, a man who makes about $20 million a year, recently declined to pay a few extra bucks for the ad-free version of a streaming service. Commercials offer a moment to think about what he just watched, grab a snack from the fridge or let out the dog.

"I like a little lull time," he says.