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 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

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:

• Forty-nine percent say they now speak more succinctly

• Fifty-five percent believe colleagues communicate more clearly

• Sixty-five percent report clearer writing since adopting AI tools

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.

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. x

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.

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