Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing how businesses operate, streamlining daily processes and helping them make data-driven decisions. Although there are undeniable benefits, the cracks are beginning to show.
As AI becomes more and more integrated into an employee’s work day, 55% of employees say they’ve already observed a loss of human interaction and connection at work. This is making people question whether the benefits of automating ongoing tasks are really worth it, or whether it is sacrificing the mental wellbeing of employees.
How AI is Impacting Workplace Culture
From customer service chatbots to data-driven decisions, AI is transforming the way businesses operate and has changed how a typical day at work looks for many. But as well as changing the way people work, AI is also having a big impact on workplace culture.
Since many daily tasks are being automated, this means there is less need for those regular human interactions throughout the day as people work on admin tasks. Although many businesses initially see this as a positive since employees can focus on the more skilled duties, this can create a more strenuous work environment since people do not have admin tasks and conversations with colleagues to break up their day.
A study by David De Cremer and Joel Koopman at Harvard Business Review has found that AI in the workplace can make employees lonelier – impacting the quality of social relationships in the workplace. Since employees are spending less time engaging with colleagues as they rely on AI tools, the working environment is becoming damaging.
AI is undeniably changing workplace culture and resulting in a lack of collaboration. Instead of colleagues relying on each other to brainstorm ideas and help solve problems, people are turning to AI to get answers. This means that they are missing out on specialist human insights and instead rely on AI for solutions.
5 Ways to Prevent Employee Loneliness
To make sure that working with AI doesn’t lose the team dynamic, businesses should be making sure that their use of AI isn’t leading to employee loneliness and a lack of human interaction. Here are 5 strategies that can help prevent this…
1. Encourage team ideation sessions
Although AI has the capabilities to offer a range of ideas in just seconds, this shouldn’t replace team ideation sessions. Getting employees together to brainstorm potential ideas and bounce off each other’s suggestions is an invaluable way to fine-tune ideas and create solutions that suit the needs of the business. This is also a great way to let a team unleash their creativity and work collaboratively.
2. Host regular social events
Having the opportunity to chat with colleagues, without it being about a work matter, is important for employees as it helps build up more personal working relationships and provides an opportunity for everyone to let their hair down. Whether it be a monthly coffee morning, monthly team lunches, or quarterly team-building activities, these social events help prevent loneliness in the workplace.
3. Create a collaborative working space
To encourage collaboration and reduce reliance on AI tools, businesses should make it as easy as possible for employees to work collaboratively. By introducing collaboration tools, such as Microsoft Teams or Slack, teams can work together on projects – even if they are working remotely or across different sites. For site-based workers, ensure there are plenty of meeting areas and consider whether an open-plan office space would be beneficial.
4. Don’t lose the business's human side
If a business is too reliant on AI, its outputs can begin to appear robotic and lose the unique brand personality they once had. To prevent this, employees should still be encouraged to put their spin on tasks to avoid AI taking over too many duties. As well as maintaining a strong brand image, this approach also prevents employee loneliness since they are still working together and using their creativity.
5. Attend mental wellbeing courses
All businesses should be booking onto mental wellbeing courses, whether that be members of the management team or the entire workforce. By educating people on the importance of work-life balance, spotting the signs of burnout, and supporting those going through tough times, a business can create a healthier workplace and help ensure employees are not feeling lonely at work.
