While many companies debate whether AI will replace jobs, a new report from MyIQ reveals a quieter shift: employees are already treating AI as a colleague. The analysis of nearly 22,500 adults found that 74% of regular AI users now pose questions to AI that they would have formerly asked human coworkers. The result is a workplace where spontaneous conversations are declining and newer employees have fewer chances to build relationships.

What You Need to Know

Employees are replacing human-to-human question exchanges with AI interactions, leading to fewer ad-hoc conversations and weaker team bonds. The MyIQ study surveyed adults across industries and found that 48% reported fewer spontaneous conversations, while 38% noted that newer employees have fewer natural opportunities to build relationships. Despite the social losses, workers feel more self-sufficient: 71% said they feel more self-sufficient at work and 62% said they feel more comfortable making decisions independently.

How AI Is Reshaping Office Culture

The shift goes beyond simple question substitution. MyIQ’s data shows that 53% of respondents described their work as more transactional since adopting AI. This marks a fundamental change in how teams interact. The report’s author, MyIQ Managing Director Sarah Meyer, noted that "repeated across a working week, those missing exchanges can mean fewer opportunities to build trust, share judgment, and become known inside a team."

The decline in spontaneous conversations also raises questions about the value of return-to-office mandates. If employees are not talking to each other as much, the collaborative benefits of in-person work may be eroding, even as companies push for more office attendance.

The Efficiency Paradox

Despite the social drawbacks, employees see clear benefits from AI. The report found that workers feel more self-sufficient and confident in making decisions. A separate SurveyMonkey study revealed that 77% of workers want more opportunities to brainstorm with colleagues and 61% want stronger team connections. Yet they are increasingly settling for the first AI-generated answer instead of digging deeper with human input.

This creates a tension: workers value both efficiency and human connection, but the two forces are pulling in opposite directions. The MyIQ study concludes that organizations need to pay attention to the forms of workplace learning and social connection that efficiency alone does not capture.

  • Social loss: 48% of workers report fewer spontaneous conversations during the day.
  • New hire impact: 38% say newer employees have fewer natural opportunities to build relationships.
  • Transactional shift: 53% describe their work as more transactional since adopting AI.

Why This Matters

The trend has real consequences for companies. If routine questions go to AI instead of colleagues, junior employees lose the informal mentoring that happens through small conversations. Teams may become more efficient but less cohesive. Employers face a difficult balance: they must encourage AI adoption for productivity while preserving the social fabric that makes collaboration valuable. The MyIQ report suggests that without deliberate effort, the workplace of the future could be more productive but less connected, with long-term effects on culture, retention and innovation.