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74% of AI users now ask chatbots colleague questions

A MyIQ study finds 74% of regular AI users ask chatbots questions once directed to colleagues, reducing spontaneous workplace conversations.

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74% of regular AI users now ask chatbots questions they previously directed to human colleagues, according to a MyIQ analysis of nearly 22,500 adults. The shift is also changing the social texture of work: 48% of respondents said they have fewer spontaneous conversations during the working day.

AI is reshaping office interactions

The findings add complexity to return-to-office mandates, which have often been justified by the value of collaboration, informal learning and ad-hoc conversations. If routine questions are increasingly sent to AI instead, commuting to an office may provide fewer of those interactions than employers expect.

38% of respondents said newer employees now have fewer natural opportunities to build workplace relationships because they ask AI rather than colleagues. MyIQ Managing Director Sarah Meyer said repeated missed exchanges could reduce opportunities to build trust, share judgment and become known within a team.

“Repeated across a working week, those missing exchanges can mean fewer opportunities to build trust, share judgment, and become known inside a team,”

Sarah Meyer, MyIQ Managing Director

The shift may also be making work feel less collaborative. 53% of respondents described their jobs as more transactional since adopting AI.

Workers report greater independence

AI use is not viewed negatively across the board. 62% said they feel more comfortable making decisions independently than they did a year ago, while 71% said they feel more self-sufficient at work.

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However, the report cautions that a chatbot’s immediate, often factually correct answer does not include the organizational context or social information a colleague can provide. A separate SurveyMonkey study found that 77% of workers want more opportunities to brainstorm with colleagues, and 61% want stronger connections across teams—even as many settle for the first AI-generated answer rather than probing further.

Together, the findings point to a workplace balancing AI’s efficiency against the human interactions that support learning and connection. The MyIQ study concludes that organizations may need to protect those interactions as solitary problem-solving becomes easier.

Marcus Vance

Enterprise Editor

Marcus follows the money. He covers enterprise software, cloud architecture, and the tectonic shifts in Big Tech strategy. He translates dense earnings calls and complex M&A activity into actionable insights about where the industry is actually heading. If a tech giant makes a silent pivot, Marcus is usually the first to notice.

via TechRadar

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