Digital Fragmentation and Generative AI Use Across 103 Million Application Events

2026-07-07

AI Summary

This study investigates the sources of digital fragmentation—characterized by frequent application switching—among knowledge workers and its relationship with generative AI usage. Leveraging 103 million seconds-level application logs from 1,017 employees across eight organizations, the authors employ longitudinal multilevel variance decomposition and time-series modeling to quantify the relative contributions of within-day fluctuations, individual differences, and organizational context. Results reveal that within-day dynamics account for 44.6% of fragmentation variance, surpassing individual (35.8%) and organizational (19.6%) factors. Notably, although generative AI is predominantly used on highly fragmented days, subsequent workflows become more focused, sustained, and predictable, challenging the prevailing assumption that AI exacerbates digital fragmentation.

Abstract

Knowledge workers switch between applications thousands of times per day, spending nearly a tenth of the work year transitioning between digital applications in a process called digital fragmentation. Whether this fragmentation reflects who an employee is, where they work, or what kind of day they are having, has remained an open question. We analyzed 103 million application events recorded second-by-second from 1,017 employees across eight organizations that largely employ knowledge workers (e.g., law, financial services). Day-to-day variation in fragmentation within individual employees accounted for 44.6% of the variation in digital fragmentation, slightly exceeding stable individual differences between employees (35.8%), and far exceeding variation between organizations (19.6%). Fragmentation rose over the work week and reset after weekends and holidays. Higher-than-typical use of communication applications coincided with more fragmented work. Generative AI use also occurred on more fragmented days, but the period following AI use was marked by narrower, longer, and more predictable application use. These findings identify the workday as a key level for understanding and intervening on digital fragmentation and suggest that AI may help structure fragmented work rather than merely intensify it.

Problem

• digital fragmentation
• knowledge workers
• application switching
• generative AI
• workday variation

Innovation

• digital fragmentation
• generative AI
• application switching
• workday dynamics
• human-AI collaboration