74% of workers ask AI questions instead of colleagues - with potentially serious consequences

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When Maria Goyal has a question, her coworkers typically meet her with one answer: Ask Claude .

The 25-year-old works at a marketing agency in Colorado. In the year she's been there, she's witnessed a creep where AI has become more ingrained into every aspect of the work , and this shift makes her feel isolated and self-conscious about turning to one of her more experienced coworkers for help or to brainstorm ideas.

"It prevents me from like learning more in depth rather than just having like a robot do it for me," she told ZDNET over the phone.

Goyal isn't the only one who feels like AI is inhibiting human interaction at work. A handful of recent studies show that AI is changing how people communicate at work, and often replacing everyday exchanges.

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Data from a July survey from cognitive assessment platform MyIQ found that three-quarters of people who use AI now ask their chatbots questions instead of colleagues . In May, Workday found that Gen Z is 12 times more likely than Gen X to feel "completely disconnected" from their coworkers. Also in July, Adobe for Business reported that 68% of workers said they'd be more comfortable asking a chatbot an obvious question than a coworker.

"AI presents a really big opportunity, but it also presents a challenge in that we absolutely need to ensure that we surround ourselves with other human beings, and as leaders, we need to create opportunity for more human connection," said Adam Mendler , a leadership expert, University of California, Los Angeles leadership instructor, and host of the "Thirty Minute Mentors" podcast .

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The rash of survey data comes at a time when Americans have never been lonelier. The CDC estimates that about one in three adults feels lonely , a trend linked to factors such as social isolation. At work, that figure is one in five worldwide . The post-COVID rise of remote work hasn't helped .

While it's too early to say whether this shift in how workers relate to each other and their bosses will create a lonelier, less supported, or less productive workforce, researchers warn that the time to prevent such effects is now.

Goyal's experience illustrates one of the biggest concerns some experts have about the loss of everyday interactions with colleagues -- the missed opportunities to build the trust and knowledge vital for well-functioning teams.