August 4, 2026
Fortune recently published an article featuring Emma Wiles, Isabel Anderson Career Development Professor, Information Systems, discussing how people interact with AI agents in the workplace.
The piece explores how organizations are shifting from teaching employees how to use AI to preparing them to supervise increasingly autonomous AI systems.
It highlights Wiles’ research showing that people caught 18% fewer errors when identical work was described as coming from an “AI employee” rather than a chatbot, suggesting that framing AI as a teammate can increase trust while also reducing critical oversight. The findings underscore the importance of employees remaining actively engaged in evaluating AI-generated work and maintaining accountability for outcomes.
As AI agents take on more complex responsibilities, organizations should train employees not only to collaborate with AI but also to set appropriate boundaries, maintain accountability, and calibrate their level of trust based on the task at hand.
