Work Week

Can AI finally deliver on the long-anticipated promise of a shorter work week — or is it quietly pushing organizations toward longer hours and higher expectations?

In this episode of Work Week, Dr. Gabby Burlacu of The Upwork Research Institute breaks down what the latest data reveals about AI's impact on productivity, burnout, and how work is structured. Hear why some leaders believe a four-day work week is within reach, why many ...

Can a business grow without adding more full-time employees? In this episode of Work Week, Dr. Gabby Burlacu of The Upwork Research Institute explores why headcount is no longer the most reliable signal of success. Instead, small and medium-sized businesses are scaling through AI, experienced freelancers with AI skills, and flexible operating models.

Drawing from the latest Upwork research, industry data, and a real-world small bu...

The promise of AI is speed and efficiency — but what happens when outputs create more problems than they solve? In this episode of Work Week, Dr. Gabby Burlacu, Senior Manager at The Upwork Research Institute, unpacks the concept of "AI slop" — low-effort, AI-generated content that looks fine on the surface but erodes trust, credibility, and productivity. 

Drawing on research from the Stanford Social Media...

How are early-career workers with AI skills setting themselves apart in today's competitive job market? In this episode of Work Week, Dr. Gabby Burlacu explores how AI natives are commanding premium pay, landing promotions faster, and reshaping what employers value. Based on data from Upwork's Future Workforce Index and external industry research, the episode highlights why companies are struggling to hire AI talent, how freelancer...

Shadow AI is on the rise as employees adopt unapproved AI tools to work faster and smarter. In this episode of Work Week, Dr. Kelly Monahan, Managing Director at The Upwork Research Institute, explores what's fueling this behavior; the financial, security, and ethical risks that shadow AI poses; and why outright bans are ineffective.

Learn how forward-thinking companies can reduce exposure, without stiflin...

Is the pressure to learn and use AI tools quietly unraveling your team? In this episode of Work Week, host Dr. Gabby Burlacu explores how the rapid pace of AI adoption is fueling workplace anxiety and burnout.

The episode covers a growing trend sometimes called "quiet cracking" — a persistent feeling of unhappiness in the workplace that often leads to disengagement. One factor driving quiet cracking is the...

Will vibe coding replace software engineers — or redefine their role? In this episode of Work Week, Dr. Kelly Monahan, Managing Director at The Upwork Research Institute, unpacks how AI is changing the software development process. Learn why developers who collaborate with AI are in high demand, and how engineering roles are shifting from execution to orchestration. 

Whether you're a leader building a tech...

How can managers use AI to improve mentorship programs — without becoming overreliant on AI tools? In this episode of Work Week, Dr. Gabby Burlacu explores how AI can help free up time and enable managers to focus on becoming better mentors. Leaders often struggle with administrative overload, burnout, and eroding connections with their teams, and in this episode we'll discuss how AI can streamline routine tasks and he...

What differentiates top-performing companies from their peers when it comes to how they think about and implement AI? In this episode of Work Week, Dr. Kelly Monahan explores how high-performing organizations are more confident, strategic, and optimistic in their approach to AI.

Drawing from an analysis of hundreds of company earnings call transcripts, this episode breaks down how leaders talk about AI in earnings calls, what thei...

Organizations are rethinking how executive roles affect business agility — and fractional C-suite positions are on the rise. In this episode of Work Week, host Dr. Gabby Burlacu explores what's driving the shift toward part-time and contract-based executives. We unpack new data and discuss use cases for fractional leadership, as well as the changing expectations of today's workforce.

Hear firsthand examples of how fractional execu...

Is your organization focused on automating the right tasks with AI — or just the ones that seem to drive the most productivity? In this episode of Work Week, Dr. Kelly Monahan, Managing Director at The Upwork Research Institute, discusses research from Stanford University that reveals a critical disconnect between AI investments and the tasks employees actually want automated.

We explore Stanford's four-zo...

Why is demand for non-technical roles growing — even in an AI-powered world of work? In this episode of Work Week, Dr. Gabby Burlacu from The Upwork Research Institute explores how trust is shaping demand for roles once considered at risk of automation. Drawing on the latest Upwork data, we discuss how freelancers and knowledge workers are leveraging AI as an augmentation tool that makes them irreplaceable — and why clients are mor...

Are you taking AI generalist skills into consideration as you hire new workers and develop your existing team? In this episode of Work Week, Dr. Kelly Monahan of The Upwork Research Institute discusses the rise of the AI generalist: a new kind of worker who blends AI literacy with critical human strengths like creativity, strategy, and communication.

Drawing on recent Upwork platform data, this episode explores how AI is transform...

Is AI closing the door on entry-level job seekers—or reshaping the path into the workforce? During this episode of Work Week, Dr. Kelly Monahan explores how recent college grads can compete in a hiring landscape increasingly shaped by automation, rising expectations, and evolving roles. With unemployment among recent college grads higher than the national average, job seekers are questioning the value of their college ...

As climate events increase in frequency and intensity, they become more than environmental concerns—they become workforce issues. In this episode of Work Week, Dr. Gabby Burlacu of The Upwork Research Institute explores how weather-related disruptions are costing U.S. businesses billions in lost productivity each year, along with what leaders can do to build climate resilience. Learn how mental health and remote work infrastructure...

What happens when AI takes the tedious, routine work off our plates? In this episode of Work Week, Dr. Kelly Monahan explores how AI is enabling worker potential—not by replacing jobs, but by removing repetitive tasks and enabling more strategic and creative work. Based on exclusive research from The Upwork Research Institute's Future Workforce Index and real-life freelancer success stories, learn how leaders and teams can partner ...

How can organizations rethink middle manager roles in an AI-driven workplace? In this episode of Work Week, Dr. Gabby Burlacu of The Upwork Research Institute examines the changing role of middle managers in an AI-powered workplace. We highlight findings from The Upwork Research Institute's latest report, From Tools to Teammates: Navigating the Human-AI Relationship, as well as relevant industry research from Gallup, Gartner, and C...

Is AI eroding human connection? In this episode of Work Week, Dr. Gabby Burlacu of The Upwork Research Institute explores a surprising paradox in the modern workplace: AI is driving huge gains in workplace efficiency—but those who report the biggest productivity boosts are also most at risk of burnout and disconnection, even leading to resignation.

Drawing from The Upwork Research Institute's latest research report, From Tools to ...

What's the difference between AI agents and agentic AI—and how do those differences affect you? In this episode of Work Week, Dr. Kelly Monahan, Managing Director of The Upwork Research Institute, breaks down how these two types of AI are shaping the future of work. While AI agents execute tasks, agentic AI systems pursue goals, adapt over time, and make complex decisions—often with minimal or no human intervention. We'll explore r...