- Report finds 74% of mainstream AI users now ask questions of AI instead of human colleagues
- New employees miss out on vital social interactions for the company culture
- Employees say they feel more self-reliant and confident in making decisions
While the jury is still out on whether AI can be set to replace human workers or seriously impact their scope by automating large parts of their workflows, one thing is clear – humans are increasingly happy to use AI as a colleague and collaborator.
A new MyIQ analysis of nearly 22,500 adults found that around three in four (74%) mainstream AI users now ask the questions they would have previously asked colleagues of AI.
As a result, around half (48%) now report fewer spontaneous conversations during the workday, suggesting that the effect may extend beyond deliberately redirecting questions to AI, as it now has a more profound impact on the social elements of work.
Return-to-office (RTO) mandates now face a complex paradox
Although the report doesn’t explicitly cover it, the data presents interesting take on modern workplace habits.
Post-pandemic layoffs and mandates from home were quickly followed by urgent mandates to return to the office, with CEOs globally encouraging in-person work due to the collaborative nature of shared environments and the opportunities to have ad-hoc conversations that spark learning and broader thinking.
With around half now saying this doesn’t happen as often, the findings raise the question of whether commuting to the office might be all that’s needed in an AI-first era.
About two in five (38%) also noted that newer employees now have fewer natural opportunities to build relationships because routine questions are being redirected to AI, not human colleagues.
“Repeated over a work week, the lack of exchanges can mean fewer opportunities to build trust, share judgment, and become known within a team,” wrote MyIQ CEO Sarah Meyer.
Around half (53%) of respondents also described their work as more transactional since adopting AI, marking a major shift in workplace dynamics.
AI may be more efficient, but it still lacks in certain areas
But despite the negative social implications, the role of AI in brainstorming, questioning and critical thinking could also be seen as positive. For example, nearly two-thirds (62%) say they feel more confident making independent decisions than they did a year ago, with nearly three-quarters (71%) feeling more self-reliant at work.
The report also warns that while a chatbot can provide an immediate and often factually correct answer, it lacks the accompanying social information and organizational knowledge that a colleague would bring to the table.
Interestingly, a similar SurveyMonkey study revealed that 77% want more opportunities to brainstorm with colleagues and 61% want stronger connections across teams, although workers are increasingly settling for the first AI-generated answer rather than digging deeper.
Taken together, these two reports suggest that workers are increasingly seeking the efficiency that AI promises, and are willing to ask questions for a faster response, but still value the collaborative nature of human interactions in the workplace.
What’s less clear is how employers could implement these conflicting forces into one unified workforce while delivering the hybrid approach workers have come to appreciate with working from home and benefiting from going to the office.
“As AI makes solitary problem solving easier, organizations may need to pay more attention to the kinds of workplace learning and social connections that efficiency alone does not capture,” the MyIQ study concludes.
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