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As artificial intelligence becomes more embedded in daily work, Inc. reports, some researchers and executives say it may be quietly reshaping how employees interact with one another—and not always for the better.
According to a report on internal usage released by Anthropic, employees are increasingly turning to its Claude chatbot for help on questions they once would have asked colleagues, a shift that some say is reducing mentorship and collaboration. One engineer quoted in the report said they “like working with people,” but added that “it’s sad that I ‘need’ them less now.”
The findings echo earlier reporting that Gen Z workers are seeking guidance on benefits and career questions from chatbots rather than managers or peers. The decline in in-person mentorship is drawing concern because research has shown mentors play a key role in employee retention.
Covering the trend, Axios quoted an economist who said that for some workers “AI is becoming the new Google,” while colleagues increasingly feel “a little annoyed if someone asks me a simple question that a quick search could have answered.” A communications executive told the outlet that one reason Google’s Gemini model resonates is “because it functions as the colleague with no drama.”
The shift toward “digital coworkers” is also reflected in survey data from Upwork, which found that 64% of workers who say AI makes them more productive also report having a better relationship with AI tools than with human colleagues. Inc. has the full story.
