Google's 20% 'project' has become AI's 120% 'attention'

Google's original "20% time" policy—allowing engineers one day per week for self-directed projects—worked because of the organizational culture and uninterrupted focus it provided, not the policy itself. Today, AI tools have revived the promise of exploratory work but without the protected time, creating "120% time" where developers juggle side projects around their main responsibilities, shifting the scarcity from available hours to available attention and mental focus. The author questions who ultimately benefits from this new arrangement, as the meaningful autonomy of the original concept has been lost despite the resurging appeal of innovation-focused exploration.