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Earlier this year, McKinsey made waves on social media when the firm shared that its employees spent a total of 100 billion use tokens across all of OpenAI’s products. For reference, that number equates to roughly 86 billion words of text-only AI-generated output—a staggering level of engagement, by any measure.
It’s great that the team at McKinsey is using a lot of AI. But when I saw this news, I couldn’t help but wonder: How many of these AI-human exchanges are replacing human-to-human exchanges? AI makes us more productive, but do we lose something less tangible when we use it constantly? Is AI making us lonely at work?
As AI use continues to accelerate, we’re all going to have to rethink how we connect in the workplace. Here are three actionable tactics leaders can use to create and maintain stronger workplace connections in the age of AI.
As a leader of international teams, I’ve always believed in the power of in-person connection. That’s why I make regular visits to my teams around the globe.
In-person presence builds trust and mutual respect. It can also make us more productive and better connected to our peers—an intangible benefit that’s a critical part of our work lives, as many of us discovered during the pandemic. When we connect with the people we work with, we do better work, stay in our jobs for longer periods of time, and, frankly, are just better off.
As AI begins to replace human-to-human interactions in the workplace, a frequent in-person presence will become even more important, since it gives us more opportunities to recoup the in-person interactions we’re increasingly losing to AI.
It’s worth noting that many firms that use AI heavily, such as JP Morgan, also have significant in-office and in-person attendance requirements. That’s not to say, of course, that in-office mandates are necessary in every case. It’s up to individual leaders to decide what’s best for their organisations.
Leaders should be intentional when bringing AI into workplace routines to make sure that AI boosts efficiency without eroding workplace connections.
As AI replaces some interpersonal exchanges, organisations should set clear guidelines for when and how AI is used, especially in collaboration and communication contexts. By thoughtfully choosing which tasks are best suited for AI automation and which require human touch, teams can preserve valuable opportunities for relationship-building.
While AI brings efficiency gains, misapplication can negatively impact team morale and cohesion. A deliberate approach that strikes the right balance between technological advancement and authentic workplace interactions will help foster a more connected, resilient, and productive workplace.
According to a study from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, younger AI users are primarily turning to AI for gathering information (53% of survey respondents) and brainstorming (51%), among other similar uses.
Before AI, these were often social activities. Instead of brainstorming with a chatbot, for example, you might have stopped by a colleague’s desk or scheduled a meeting to discuss a joint project. But now, this is no longer a necessity. Instead of interacting with a colleague, you can often brainstorm or gather information for a project easily and effectively by querying AI.
As we lose these kinds of informal workplace interactions, leaders should create structured plans to encourage person-to-person interaction and bonding. This could include deliberately scheduling in-person activities that are directly work-related, such as in-person status meetings, but it could also include work-social activities like volunteer events or happy hours. It’s possible to recoup lost interactions with thoughtful planning.
AI is changing the entire fabric of our work lives, making us more productive and efficient. These are positive changes that leaders should celebrate, but it’s also important to be mindful of what we lose when we transition to a new technology like AI.
At the end of the day, AI doesn’t have to make us lonely. In fact, when implemented correctly, it can improve every aspect of our work lives. But we all must work together to make sure that this happens.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dux Raymond Sy is the chief brand officer at AvePoint. With over 20 years of business, marketing and technology experience, I lead brand strategy at AvePoint (Nasdaq: AVPT) where I am responsible for building brand visibility, accelerating brand engagement and driving brand advocacy globally.. I've authored the book “SharePoint for Project Management” and am recognized by Microsoft as a Regional Director (RD) and Most Valuable Professional (MVP).