The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace has sparked a debate about its impact on employees and their careers. While some argue that AI can enhance productivity and streamline mundane tasks, others warn of its potential to stifle creativity and critical thinking. According to Sandra Matz, a professor at Columbia Business School, AI can make people 'boring' by outsourcing critical thinking and creative reasoning, leading to stagnation and mediocrity. This is particularly concerning as 43% of workers in the U.S. already use AI for their jobs, according to a study by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
One of the main issues with AI is that it often generates the most obvious and safe responses, making employees just like everyone else. This can lead to a lack of independent thinking and a reliance on algorithmic consensus. As Fred Oswald, an industrial-organizational psychologist, points out, there is a 'Wild West' of AI use that needs to be understood and explored to manage risks and further benefit. AI should not replace judgment but rather remove friction and allow employees to spend more time creating meaning.
For those early in their careers, it's crucial to be mindful of AI's impact on learning. Dorothy Leidner, a business and ethics professor, warns that younger workers without deep expertise may struggle to use AI as a thought enhancer rather than a thought generator. Using AI to draft emails or Slack messages can also erode trust and undermine the organic and spontaneous nature of workplace interactions. According to Eva Selenko, a work psychology professor, AI can pose a status threat by outperforming employees on core tasks, shaking their self-concept.
However, the answer isn't to stop using AI but to find meaning around qualities that AI can't replicate. As Americus Reed II, a professor of marketing, suggests, workers must remember that adopting AI doesn't mean outsourcing their identity. Instead, they should focus on their uniquely human skills, such as judgment, creativity, curiosity, and relationships, which become even more valuable as technology advances. In the end, the key is to strike a balance between utilizing AI's capabilities and preserving the human touch in the workplace.
