用 AI 一年後，我每天多出 2 小時——這些時間我拿來做這些事
常有人問用 AI 到底能省多少時間。我認真回想了過去一年，把真正省下時間的地方整理出來，順便聊聊省下的時間我怎麼用。
People often ask me: "How much time can AI actually save?" Giving a vague number is meaningless, so I took some time to reflect on the past year, listing out all the ways AI has genuinely saved me time. The conclusion is: conservatively speaking, I gain around 2 extra hours every day. This article shares where I've saved time and, more importantly, how I utilize the saved time.
The Most Time-Saving Aspects of AI for Me
1. Getting started with writing is now faster. In the past, staring at a blank page was the biggest waste of time. Now, using ChatGPT or Claude to draft an outline, I've shifted from "creating" to "editing," saving a significant amount of time in the process.
2. Researching no longer requires opening ten tabs. To quickly grasp a topic, I use Perplexity to provide organized answers with sources, saving me from clicking through links and comparing information myself.
3. Repetitive tasks are now automated. Using Zapier to automate fixed tasks like reposting, notifications, and summaries saves me time that would be spent on these mechanical tasks.
4. Reading long documents is no longer necessary. For a report spanning dozens of pages, I use ChatPDF to ask for key points and extract what I need, which is much faster than reading the entire document.
5. Meetings no longer require note-taking. Using AI for meeting records allows me to focus on the discussion, and I receive a summary afterward.
How I Use My Saved 2 Hours
This is the crucial part. If saving time only means scrolling through your phone, then AI hasn't added much value to your life. I allocate my saved time into three areas:
- Deepening my expertise: I use the saved time to learn more challenging topics that AI cannot handle — this is my long-term competitive edge.
- Genuine interpersonal connections: I engage in meaningful conversations with clients and partners, building trust, which is something AI can never replace.
- Rest and life: Honestly, I also use it to rest properly. The purpose of efficiency shouldn't just be to cram in more work.
A Reminder: Saving Time Doesn't Equal Improvement
AI helps you "work faster," but speed doesn't equate to quality. I've seen people use AI to quickly produce a lot of mediocre work, increasing quantity but not quality. The saved time should be invested in making yourself irreplaceable, not in producing more mediocrity.
If you haven't started using AI to save time, I suggest beginning with the task that takes the most time and is most repetitive, and try out a tool. Once you experience the benefits, you won't go back. For further reading: After trying over a hundred AI tools, the ones that stayed in my workflow.
In a nutshell: AI saves me about 2 hours a day, but the key isn't how much time is saved, it's how the saved time is invested — in making yourself irreplaceable, not in producing more mediocrity.
Sources
Compiled from the editorial team's actual usage experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
用 AI 能省多少時間？
因人而異，但編輯實測一年下來每天約多出 2 小時，最有感的是寫作起步、查資料、自動化雜事、讀長文件、會議記錄。
AI 最能幫忙省時間的地方？
寫東西的起步（先生草稿）、查資料（附來源的 AI 搜尋）、重複雜事自動化、讀長文件問重點、會議自動記錄。
省下的時間應該怎麼用？
投資在 AI 做不到的事——深化專業、經營真實人際、好好休息，而不是用來產出更多平庸的東西。
AI 省時間就代表做得更好嗎？
不一定。AI 讓你做得快，但快不等於好。省下的時間要投資在讓你更不可取代的事，而非追求量。