The ‘AI wall’ is real, and it’s limiting what workers can do

Generative AI can help employees perform unfamiliar tasks faster, but it won’t instantly turn novices into experts, The Harvard Business Review writes. 

In a controlled experiment at a UK fintech firm, marketers using AI nearly matched professional writers when developing article ideas, narrowing the performance gap. But when it came to actually writing, expertise still mattered. 

Those furthest from the domain saw limited gains, revealing what researchers call the “AI wall”—the point where lack of foundational knowledge limits how effectively workers can use AI tools.

For business leaders, the findings challenge the notion that AI will flatten skill hierarchies. While the technology can accelerate learning and boost productivity—especially for employees adjacent to a task—it cannot replace judgment, taste and deep experience. 

Companies deploying AI may need to rethink hiring, training and workflow design to avoid eroding their pipeline of future experts while chasing short-term efficiency gains.

The Harvard Business Review has the full story.