Artificial Intelligence
AI Makes Work Easier. We Make It Human.
AI has unlocked new levels of productivity, but recent data suggests it may be weakening our human ties.
Carrie Varoquiers
Chief Impact Officer
Workday
Report
AI Agents Are Here—But Don’t Call Them Boss
AI is changing work faster than any technology I've seen in my career. In Workday’s new Human Connection Workplace Index, employees at large enterprises across industries globally have told us that AI is already making their jobs feel better in tangible ways.
They report feeling more productive, more confident, and less burned out. Many say AI has helped them shift to higher-value strategic work. That’s the outcome we’ve all been hoping for.
But the same research suggests something that may be troubling: as AI becomes the default collaborator at work, is our everyday human connection starting to erode?
Employees are turning to AI for brainstorming, feedback, and even companionship. A third of workers say they now have very few, if any, personal conversations with colleagues, and some report feeling increasingly tired by in-person interactions, and experience loneliness at work. For Gen Z, who report the heaviest AI usage among the generations, that loneliness and disconnection is even more pronounced.
AI is an incredible tool, but in focusing on what AI unlocks, we should also be cognizant of whether it strengthens, or weakens, our social ties with one another.
As AI becomes the default collaborator at work, is our everyday human connection starting to erode?
Why Connection Is Not Optional
It can be tempting to treat connection as a cultural nicety, something to think about only after our productivity gains are fully optimized. However, broad research tells a different story.
Human relationships help us thrive, both mentally and physically. But we are trending towards more social isolation, both at home and at work. Lacking social connection can lead to damaging effects on mental, physical, and cognitive health, including:
Increased risk of earlier death—32% higher chances from social isolation and 14% from loneliness.
Higher rates of physical and mental illness, including increased risk of heart disease by 29%, stroke by 32%, and dementia by 50%.
Economic losses, up to $25 billion in countries globally per year.
Stress-related work absences attributed to loneliness costing U.S. employers an estimated $154 billion in 2020.
And yet, nearly three-quarters of Americans only get together with their close family and friends twice a month or less. We have experienced a 20% decline in our spoken words to one another from 2005 to 2019, and people aged 15–29 spent about 45% more time alone in 2023 than they did in 2010. In other words, our social isolation is increasing.
This impacts businesses—and their employees. Human connections lead people to learn about new career opportunities, find mentors, learn to navigate difficult conversations, and give and receive support and empathy. When those ties fray, the costs are real.
For example, we know that careers often depend heavily on networks. LinkedIn research suggests that around 70% of roles are found through personal and professional connections. When people’s workplace relationships weaken, their access to opportunity narrows, especially for those who are already underrepresented or geographically isolated. Having social ties can help by having former managers make introductions, peers who can share leads, and mentors that help them in their reskilling journey.
Multiple studies have shown a strong correlation between having a best friend at work and business performance. Individuals with friends at work are willing to put in more effort, ask questions and raise concerns, innovate and share ideas, and have fun while at work. And Gallup’s latest findings show a strong relationship between having a best friend at work and important outcomes such as employees' likelihood to recommend their workplace, their intent to leave and their overall workplace satisfaction.
Workday’s Human Connection Workplace Index found that more than one‑third (37%) of employees prefer brainstorming with AI rather than a human colleague for fear of judgment, and 44% often or always choose AI because it completes tasks faster without challenging their ideas. Slowly reducing our former moments of interpersonal connection could quietly lead to greater levels of social isolation.
Gen Zers are the heaviest users of AI, and also report feeling the biggest connection deficit. In fact, 21% say they feel more lonely since AI tools were introduced in the workplace, and 41% rarely or never have conversations with colleagues that go beyond transactional work-related tasks in a given week.
Workday’s Human Connection Workplace Index found that 44% of employees often or always choose AI because it completes tasks faster without challenging their ideas.
Designing For Culture, Not Just Efficiency
So, with this initial baseline data, what can leaders do inside their own organizations?
First, treat connection as infrastructure. Don’t relegate it to occasional offsites or social events. Ask where in your workflows people actually build trust, how those moments are changing as AI takes on more tasks, and whether the remaining human interactions are the ones that matter most.
Second, make certain human interactions non‑optional. In moments of performance feedback, decision conflict, career development, or major change, encourage direct conversation, rather than AI‑drafted messages. Model social courage, invite early career talent into the rooms where respectful debate is demonstrated. These are the situations where empathy, nuance, and shared vulnerability matter most.
Third, design for networks rather than only hierarchies. Create structured opportunities for cross‑functional collaboration, peer mentoring and community building so that people’s networks expand beyond their immediate team. The broader someone’s trusted network, the more resilient they are when their role, manager, or location changes.
Finally, measure what matters. Track indicators of connection, trust, and social resilience alongside productivity metrics. Pay particular attention to Gen Z employees.
Most of all, remember that connection is built in the small moments we are now tempted to automate away—the extra five-minute chat after a meeting, the messy brainstorming session, the uncomfortable but honest conversation. These are micro-moments with a big payoff.
We can let the quiet ease of AI erode our connection to one another, or we can use the incredible gains it gives us—time, insight, efficiency—to invest more deeply in one another.
A More Human Future of Work
I am eternally optimistic about what AI can do for people and organizations. Our research confirms that when implemented thoughtfully, AI can reduce burnout, unlock capacity, and give employees the space to do more meaningful work.
But I am equally certain that no algorithm can substitute for a trusted colleague, a supportive manager, or a community that shows up for you when you need it most.
As leaders, we have a choice. We can let the quiet ease of AI erode our connection to one another, or we can use the incredible gains it gives us—time, insight, efficiency—to invest more deeply in one another. At Workday, through the Human Connection Workplace Index and the Workday Foundation's continued investments in the human connection movement globally, we are actively choosing the latter. I hope you’ll join us in designing workplaces where technology amplifies human capability without replacing the relationships that help people and communities thrive.
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AI Agents Are Here—But Don’t Call Them Boss
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