- Research finds that a third (32%) of workers speak to colleagues less since using GenAI
- Over a quarter (26%) admit to being less polite since using GenAI
- Research underscores that organisational culture, not technology, is the true differentiator in AI success
Three years after the launch of ChatGPT, new global research from The Adaptavist Group reveals how GenAI has fundamentally altered workplace communication, impacting everything from small talk and politeness, to writing skills and speech.
The research was conducted as part of the company’s latest Digital Etiquette: Unlocking the AI Gates report. Based on a survey of 4,000 knowledge workers and 900 business leaders responsible for implementing AI across the UK, US, Canada, and Germany, the findings show that while many workers credit AI with improving clarity, confidence, and productivity, significant proportions raised concerns about ‘addiction’, declining politeness, and the erosion of core skills.
The jack of all workplace roles
AI has rapidly become not just a go-to ‘colleague’ for millions of professionals, but a must-have element in many tasks once handled exclusively by humans. Nearly half of AI implementers (48%) now consult AI on legal or policy issues, and 41% use it for HR-related matters. Meanwhile, one in four knowledge workers (26%) said they’d rather engage in small talk with an AI bot than with a human, rising to 32% among business leaders responsible for AI deployment. As a result, 32% of workers are speaking to colleagues less since using GenAI, showing how the technology is having a seismic impact on workplace relationships.
Notably, the study revealed that men reported a steeper decline in interpersonal communication than women, with 36% saying they now speak to colleagues less, versus 28% of women. With men around the world facing a loneliness epidemic, the findings are particularly noteworthy.
The preference of an AI chatbot over human for ‘small talk’ is particularly strong among younger professionals aged 25-44 (30%), compared with just 15% of those over 55. Across markets, the US leads the shift toward AI-led interaction (34%), compared to 25% in the UK, 23% in Canada, and 21% in Germany.
Reliance on GenAI has become so ingrained in workplaces that one third of workers (35%) believe they’re ‘addicted’ to using it.
Rudeness IRL
The research also points to evolving workplace dynamics. Over a quarter (26%) admit to being less polite since using GenAI. Among AI implementers, this figure rises to 39%.
However, the advent of AI has also improved communication on multiple fronts, changing how people speak to one another:
- 49% say they now speak more succinctly
- 55% believe colleagues communicate more clearly
- 65% report clearer writing since adopting AI tools
More broadly, 45% of respondents believe AI is creating divides between leaders and their teams. Previous data from The Adaptavist Group showed that high earners have significantly greater access to AI tools and training, suggesting that AI adoption may be widening the gap between leaders who benefit more from extra training and access, and employees who are being overlooked. This divide may also reflect that more leaders than employees prefer speaking to AI rather than to humans (32% vs. 26%), potentially hindering real-life relationships and reducing the opportunity for social knowledge sharing.
AI Advantage or Atrophy?
When it comes to AI’s impact on skills, the picture is divided. While 29% of workers worry their abilities are declining due to reliance on AI, a larger number (68%) believe the technology is helping them develop new capabilities.
- 62% say AI has improved their writing
- 47% credit it with enhancing critical thinking
- 41% report stronger design skills
- 38% note improvements in coding
Culture drives ROI
The research underscores that organisational culture, not technology, is the true differentiator in AI success. Companies that actively encourage responsible experimentation and learning with AI see markedly stronger outcomes:
- Skill development: 89% report growing skills in AI-friendly organisations, versus 59% where AI use is merely tolerated
- Job satisfaction: 54% in AI-encouraging cultures report significantly improved satisfaction, compared to just 8% where it’s discouraged
- Team collaboration: companies that encourage AI use report significantly better team collaboration (68%) than those that discourage it (23%)
- Return on investment: 73% of organisations that promote use successfully prove AI ROI, versus just 36% of those that discourage it
Neal Riley, AI Innovation Lead at The Adaptavist Group, commented:
“As GenAI continues to embed itself in society, we’re seeing a shift in how work gets done and how people connect and communicate. Evidently, AI can make us more efficient and articulate, but it also risks eroding some soft skills and driving a wedge between human interaction.
“Finding the right balance with AI so that you see all the benefits, and reduce the drawbacks, is all about cultivating the right environment. Evidently when organisations have the right culture in place, they see stronger performance, clearer communication, and measurable business returns.
“The key to achieving a culture where AI use remains healthy and work-conducive is one which encourages responsible AI experimentation, and has a framework for measuring success.”
Carolyn Freeman, CyberPsychology specialist, commented:
“Engaging in, and relying on, higher levels of synthetic AI relationships that meet specific psychological or emotional needs can displace efforts to satisfy those needs through connections with real people. Employees need regular opportunities, whether in person or virtually, to discover shared interests, exchange ideas, build trust and form the foundations of effective collaborative teams.
“Chatbots offer an always-on presence that feels available, non-judgemental and emotionally safe, meeting users in their moment-to-moment need states, enabling low-stakes ‘small talk’ without social risk. Interactions with AI can feel more private, contained and forgiving, giving employees space to vent frustrations, explore ideas or rehearse difficult conversations without fear of damaging performance reviews or workplace reputations.
“As social beings, people seek out belonging and acceptance from others. Chatbots can become an attractive, non-judgemental stand-in for those who feel socially anxious, lack close confidants, or find it difficult to trust people. Because the interaction is consistently positive, affirming and supportive, use can edge towards the ‘addictive’, paradoxically deepening loneliness and weakening the drive to connect with other humans.”
