A recent article in Harvard Business Review, co-authored by Constance Noonan Hadley, Research Associate Professor of Management & Organizations and Associate Director of the Institute for Leadership & Work, explores a surprising shift in workplace behavior: employees are increasingly turning to AI not just for productivity, but for career guidance, emotional support, and even companionship.
Drawing on a survey of more than 1,500 U.S. knowledge workers, the researchers found that 74% use AI for at least one form of social support traditionally provided by colleagues. Yet despite this growing reliance, workplace loneliness remains widespread—more than half of respondents reported feeling lonely, and only a small fraction said AI meaningfully reduced that feeling.
The findings point to a critical tension. While AI offers immediate, judgment-free support and efficiency, it may also erode the human dynamics that underpin strong organizations. Over time, increased reliance on AI can reduce collaboration, weaken trust, and limit opportunities for relationship-building, ultimately undermining team cohesion and organizational culture.
The research highlights four key risks: greater workplace isolation as AI replaces collaboration, declining social skills and motivation for human interaction, reduced trust due to fewer peer-to-peer exchanges, and a deeper sense of “false connection” that can intensify loneliness rather than relieve it.
For leaders, the message is clear: AI adoption cannot be treated as purely a productivity initiative. Hadley and her co-author, Sarah Wright, argue that organizations must actively manage its social impact by setting clear boundaries for AI use, designing systems that encourage human interaction, leveraging AI to facilitate rather than replace relationship-building, and training employees to use these tools in psychologically healthy ways.
The takeaway: AI may be a powerful workplace companion, but it cannot substitute for the human connections that drive engagement, trust, and long-term performance.
