How is AI Impacting Team Culture?

Ironically, AI-generated image | Firefly

AI users report having a better relationship with AI than teammates.

My phone dinged at 5:30 this morning. Although I should have resisted, it was an excuse to scroll through some recent LinkedIn posts. One that caught my eye was from two early career guys I’ve been closely following, Ethan Simons and Andy Monroe, of Bullish Events.

Just two years in, they’ve built a successful business doing events for educational creators. This morning, Andy posted a story about AI.

Given that they’re both Gen Z, I expected the post to be about the ways we need to embrace AI. Instead, Andy acknowledged the value of it to unlock human potential, but quickly turned to people craving IRL experiences to offset digital overload.

Cut to a recent article on fortune.com (the full article sits behind a paywall) about AI replacing human connection. According to Upwork Research Institute’s global survey of 2,500 C-suite executives, employees and freelancers, “employees report a 40% boost in productivity” using AI, but among AI top performers, “88% report feeling burned-out.”

Among top AI users, “… 64% say they have a better relationship with AI than with human teammates.” Ouch.

The study’s authors argue that productivity gains are only sustainable when AI augments — not replaces, human connection.

I couldn’t agree more. As leaders, while we work on tech adoption, we need to find opportunities for team members to communicate, connect, and build trust — one human being to another.