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On Tue, 29 Apr, 12:03 AM UTC
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17% of employees who use AI at work do so to avoid co-worker judgment: But workplace connection 'is a key to finding happiness'
As AI becomes more advanced and prolific in the workplace, employees find new ways to use it to improve their performance. In Microsoft's recent 2025: The Year the Frontier Firm Is Born report, the company wanted to get a sense of how people use AI in the workplace. Among their questions for the 31,000 workers across 31 countries they surveyed was, "in the past year, which tasks have you relied more on AI for than a human colleague?" says Alexia Cambon, senior research director at Microsoft. They found workers turn to AI more often than people for help with information search, data analysis, brainstorming and creative thinking. Microsoft's follow up question was "why?" says Cambon. While many choose the tech for its 24/7 availability and its "endless stream of ideas on demand," some turn to it for more emotional reasons. Nearly a fifth, 17% of people working on the aforementioned tasks turn to AI more than a colleague for "fear of human judgment," Microsoft found. Happiness expert and TEDx speaker Jessica Weiss is not surprised that for some people, AI "starts to become a stand-in for human connection. But oftentimes and unfortunately, it's not for the better." Here's why she believes people are leaning into AI in this way and how to avoid doing it.
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AI is breeding anti-social behavior in the office, according to Microsoft
Microsoft surveyed 31,000 workers in 31 countries to ask how they are adapting to working with AI. While it found more people are turning to AI for its unique capabilities, plenty of people are using it to avoid human interaction. Seventeen percent of those surveyed said they use AI out of fear of judgment and like that AI feels private. Another 16% reported using it to avoid the friction of working with a colleague. Fifteen percent cited the demands of colleagues as a reason to turn to AI, since it requires less "handholding." And 8% said they use AI so they can take all the credit for the work and avoid citing a coworker. Other more popular answers for using AI included 42% who appreciate it being available 24/7, 30% who find it does tasks faster than they can, and 28% who like the "endless stream of ideas on demand." The report comes as Microsoft announced a major expansion of its AI tools. Its 365 Copilot Wave 2 spring release featured AI "agents" designed to function as digital colleagues who can perform complex workplace tasks through deep reasoning capabilities. Microsoft has said it wants AI to serve as more than just a tool and become an integral collaborator in daily work. "A new organizational blueprint is emerging, one that blends machine intelligence with human judgment, building systems that are AI-operated but human-led," the report said. "Like the Industrial Revolution and the internet era, this transformation will take decades to reach its full promise and involve broad technological, societal, and economic change."
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Microsoft's 2025 report uncovers how AI is reshaping workplace interactions, with some employees using AI to avoid human judgment and collaboration, while others leverage it for enhanced productivity.
Microsoft's recent "2025: The Year the Frontier Firm Is Born" report has shed light on the evolving role of AI in the workplace, revealing both its potential for enhancing productivity and its unexpected impact on workplace social dynamics. The study, which surveyed 31,000 workers across 31 countries, offers insights into how employees are integrating AI into their daily work routines 1.
The report indicates that workers are increasingly turning to AI over human colleagues for various tasks. Alexia Cambon, senior research director at Microsoft, notes that employees rely more on AI than humans for information search, data analysis, brainstorming, and creative thinking 1. The reasons for this preference are multifaceted, with 42% of respondents appreciating AI's 24/7 availability, 30% citing faster task completion, and 28% valuing the "endless stream of ideas on demand" 2.
Perhaps more surprisingly, the study uncovered a trend of employees using AI to avoid human interaction in the workplace:
These findings suggest that AI is not just enhancing productivity but also potentially altering workplace social dynamics.
Jessica Weiss, a happiness expert and TEDx speaker, expresses concern about this trend, stating that AI "starts to become a stand-in for human connection. But oftentimes and unfortunately, it's not for the better" 1. This observation highlights the potential risks of over-reliance on AI at the expense of human interaction and collaboration.
As Microsoft expands its AI offerings, including the recent 365 Copilot Wave 2 spring release featuring AI "agents," the company envisions AI as more than just a tool. Microsoft aims to position AI as an integral collaborator in daily work, fostering a new organizational blueprint that blends machine intelligence with human judgment 2.
The report suggests that this AI-driven transformation of the workplace is part of a larger, long-term shift comparable to the Industrial Revolution and the internet era. Microsoft predicts that fully realizing the potential of AI in the workplace will involve broad technological, societal, and economic changes over the coming decades 2.
As AI continues to evolve and integrate into workplace processes, it's clear that while it offers significant benefits in terms of efficiency and idea generation, careful consideration must be given to maintaining healthy human interactions and collaborations in the workplace.
Recent research reveals a growing disconnect between executive enthusiasm for AI and employee hesitation, with workers hiding AI use due to fears of being perceived as lazy or incompetent.
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A recent Slack study identifies five AI personality types among office workers, highlighting the challenges and opportunities in AI adoption across different demographics.
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A recent study explores the impact of AI assistants like Microsoft Viva Insights on workplace productivity and well-being, highlighting both benefits and limitations of these tools.
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A major global study finds that 58% of employees use AI at work, with many reporting productivity gains. However, nearly half admit to using AI inappropriately, raising concerns about data security and governance.
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A recent survey by Upwork highlights the unintended consequences of AI adoption in the workplace. Despite promises of increased efficiency, many employees report longer hours and heightened stress levels.
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