When Maria Goyal has a question, her coworkers typically meet her with one answer: Ask Claude. The 25-year-old works at a marketing agency in Colorado. In the year she's been there, she's witnessed a creep where AI has become more ingrained into every aspect of the work, and this shift makes her feel isolated and self-conscious about turning to one of her more experienced coworkers for help or to brainstorm ideas.
"It prevents me from learning more in depth rather than just having a robot do it for me," she said in a phone interview.
Goyal isn't the only one who feels like AI is inhibiting human interaction at work. A handful of recent studies show that AI is changing how people communicate at work, and often replacing everyday exchanges. Data from a July survey from cognitive assessment platform MyIQ found that about three-quarters of people who use AI now ask their chatbots questions instead of colleagues. In May, Workday found that Gen Z is 12 times more likely than Gen X to feel "completely disconnected" from their coworkers. Also in July, Adobe for Business reported that 68% of workers said they'd be more comfortable asking a chatbot an obvious question than a coworker.
Good chat
Goyal's experience illustrates one of the biggest concerns some experts have about the loss of everyday interactions with colleagues -- the missed opportunities to build the trust and knowledge vital for well-functioning teams. Constance Noonan Hadley, founder and chief scientist at the Institute for Life at Work, has been studying topics like the future of work, employee loneliness and burnout, and team dynamics for more than 20 years. She said the act of asking a coworker a question, getting a friendly, helpful response, and maybe being able to return the favor is valuable.
The MyIQ study also unpacked all the additional information baked into such an interaction. "A question could solve an immediate problem, but it could also reveal who had expertise, how another person approached uncertainty, and which colleagues were willing to help. AI can preserve the practical answer while removing much of that social information," the report said.
Goyal, for example, is concerned that she doesn't have the chance to show what she does know, and that she's not learning as much from her colleagues as she could. "I think it's an underestimation of how much those moments matter, and it's hard to convince people they matter until they don't have them anymore," Hadley said.
Stalling out in professional growth can also create anxiety among workers who may feel their own expertise is fragile and possibly easy to replace with AI. "If more of those questions go to AI now instead of their more experienced colleagues, then organizations may need to think differently about how they support workplace learning," said Sophie de Villiers, PR manager for MyIQ.
And for team leaders, stanching the flow of questions from their reports can also have an isolating effect, Hadley said, while also limiting their understanding of their own teams. "Anyone who's in a senior role is focused on building teams, recruiting, retaining, and developing talent. And the less you're interacting with talent, the harder it's going to be for you to recruit, retain, and develop talent," said Adam Mendler, a leadership expert, University of California, Los Angeles leadership instructor, and host of the "Thirty Minute Mentors" podcast.
If maintaining good vibes at work sounds too squishy, it's worth noting that researchers have found that lonely employees can actually cost businesses money. Loneliness at work has been linked to absenteeism, higher turnover, higher healthcare costs, and lower productivity. Gallup estimates that low employee engagement (a measure of "psychological attachment workers have to their work, their team, and their employer") cost the global economy about $10 trillion in lost productivity last year.
Keeping talking
To be sure, the survey data also shows benefits to being able to ask a chatbot a question instead of a colleague. The MyIQ study found that 71% of respondents felt more self-sufficient, and 62% felt more comfortable making decisions on their own, compared to a year prior. As many as 86% of those surveyed by Workday felt more productive. Meanwhile, Adobe found that the impact of agentic AI meant remote workers were 35% more likely than on-site workers to experience a dip in imposter syndrome and mental load.
For Allison Clair, founder and president of communications firm AJC Communications & Advisory, turning to AI does make her feel more isolated at times, but it also has undeniable benefits. Clair isn't always in the same timezone as her clients, and her team often works asynchronously. "I do find myself a lot of times just turning to AI to be like, 'Hey, just hash this out with me,'" she said, also noting that she feels more productive paring down some of the more extraneous chats that might crop up in the workplace.
However, Clair is mindful that not every question should be farmed out to AI, and she makes a point of having an in-person client visit at least once a week and schedules times to talk more casually with her team. "I've definitely noticed that I do need to set up those times to chat with the people who work for me and get that face time in, and ask about their weeks and see how their weekends have been," she said.
How AI is changing workplace dynamics and what experts recommend
The shift toward AI-first communication is part of a broader transformation in how work gets done. As AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and other large language models become more accessible, employees increasingly rely on them for tasks that once required a human conversation. This includes not just factual queries but also brainstorming, writing assistance, code debugging, and even emotional support. While this can boost efficiency, it also reduces the frequency and depth of coworker interactions.
According to the U.S. Surgeon General's advisory on workplace well-being, social connection at work is a key driver of employee health and resilience. When employees feel connected to their colleagues, they are more likely to be engaged, productive, and committed to their organization. The decline in workplace friendships and mentorships, exacerbated by remote work and now accelerated by AI, poses a significant risk to organizational culture.
Recent research from Microsoft and LinkedIn indicates that 75% of knowledge workers now use AI at work, and that number is growing. Yet the same research highlights a paradox: while workers say AI helps them keep up with the pace of work, many also report feeling more isolated. The hybrid work model, already associated with reduced spontaneous interactions, compounds this effect.
Experts suggest that companies need to take deliberate steps to preserve human connection. Hadley and her co-author Sarah L. Wright, in a piece for the Harvard Business Review, discussed ways companies can make sure AI doesn't erode work connections. Their recommendations include monitoring the social impact of AI adoption, creating guidelines for when AI can or should replace human interaction, designing AI to actually prompt human interactions (for example, an AI assistant might direct an employee to a human before answering a question), and using AI to support relationship-building activities. For instance, an AI system could plan team outings or suggest icebreaker questions for meetings.
Another practical approach is to designate "no-AI" zones or times, such as during team brainstorming sessions or one-on-one check-ins. Some companies have introduced "office hours" with senior leaders, where employees are encouraged to drop by with questions—both professional and personal. These initiatives aim to recreate the informal watercooler moments that have been lost.
Mentorship programs also need a refresh. With young professionals like Goyal feeling self-conscious about approaching more experienced colleagues, organizations can formalize mentorship pairings and make it clear that questions are welcome. Encouraging reverse mentoring—where junior employees teach senior ones about new technologies—can also create two-way learning and break down hierarchies.
The role of managers is particularly crucial. A report from Gallup found that managers account for 70% of the variance in team engagement. When managers are no longer the first point of contact for questions, they risk losing touch with their team's challenges, skill levels, and aspirations. To counter this, managers should intentionally check in with each team member weekly, not just about work progress but also about their well-being and development goals.
For employees, the key is to use AI as a supplement rather than a replacement for human interaction. Before asking a chatbot, consider whether this question could be an opportunity to connect with a colleague. Simple exchanges often lead to tangential discussions that spark creativity, build trust, and reinforce social bonds. As Clair noted, "Work is also relationships and people, and so I don't think there's any real replacing the day-to-day of that."
Goyal envisions more opportunity for open dialogue at work, with AI functioning more as a supplement to collaboration rather than a substitute for it. She hopes that leaders will recognize the value of face-to-face (or video-to-video) conversations and create spaces where employees feel comfortable asking each other questions without fear of judgment.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced a dramatic shift to remote work, and now AI is accelerating the digitization of workplace interactions. But humans are inherently social beings, and work is not just a series of tasks to be completed. It is also a community where individuals find meaning, support, and identity. As AI continues to evolve, organizations must be proactive in safeguarding the human element.
Some forward-thinking companies are already using AI to foster connections. For example, AI-powered platforms can match employees with similar interests for virtual coffee chats, or help new hires navigate the unwritten rules of the workplace by connecting them with peer buddies. Others are using AI to analyze communication patterns and identify employees who may be becoming isolated, allowing managers to intervene early.
Still, researchers caution that these technological fixes must be used thoughtfully. The goal is not to force interactions but to create the conditions where they can happen naturally. As Hadley points out, the small moments—asking for help, receiving advice, sharing a laugh—are the building blocks of a healthy organizational culture. Losing them to a chatbot may save time, but at what cost?
The evidence is clear: loneliness at work is not just an individual problem; it's a business problem. The staggering $10 trillion figure from Gallup is a reminder that employee engagement and connection have direct economic consequences. Companies that prioritize human interaction alongside AI adoption are likely to see better outcomes in innovation, retention, and profitability.
For individuals, the advice from experts is to be mindful of how often you turn to AI instead of people. If you're stuck on a problem, try reaching out to a colleague first. Not only will you likely get the help you need, but you'll also be strengthening your professional network and making work more enjoyable for both of you.
As the workplace continues to evolve, the balance between artificial and human intelligence will define its future. Those who learn to use AI as a tool—not a crutch—will find the greatest success. And those who remember that behind every question is an opportunity to connect will build careers that are not only productive but meaningful.
Source: ZDNET News