A clear trend is emerging of office workers turning questions they used to ask colleagues during work to artificial intelligence (AI).

Tech outlet TechRadar reported on July 22 that online cognitive assessment platform MyIQ surveyed about 22,500 adults and found that 74 percent of respondents who regularly use AI said they now ask AI questions they previously asked co-workers.

Workplace conversations have also declined. Some 48 percent of respondents said spontaneous conversations during work hours have decreased. That suggests AI is also affecting social interaction.

The survey also found fewer opportunities for new hires to build relationships. Some 38 percent of respondents said that as routine questions go to AI instead of people, new employees have fewer chances to form relationships naturally. Sarah Mayer (사라 메이어), managing director at MyIQ, explained that if such exchanges continue to shrink, opportunities to build trust within teams will diminish.

Changes in how people work were also confirmed. Some 53 percent of respondents said their work has become more transaction-oriented since AI was introduced.

Perceived gains in efficiency were clear. Some 62 percent of respondents said they are more comfortable making decisions than a year ago, and 71 percent said they have become more independent at work. Those changes show that AI plays a certain role in brainstorming, organizing questions and supporting judgment.

MyIQ pointed out that chatbots may be fast and convenient, but they do not convey the social context and internal organisational knowledge that team members provide. The criticism is that as AI makes it easier to solve problems alone, organisations need to pay more attention to workplace learning and social connections that are not captured by efficiency alone.

These changes also raise questions about the need for in-person work. Since the pandemic, companies have demanded a return to the office, citing the value of collaboration and spontaneous conversations. But with about half of respondents saying such conversations do not happen as often as before, the meaning of commuting in an AI-centric work environment is being questioned again.

A similar trend was found in another survey. In a SurveyMonkey survey, 77 percent of respondents wanted more opportunities to brainstorm with team members, and 61 percent hoped to strengthen bonds within teams. Employees are increasingly inclined to rely on AI's first response to get faster answers, but at the same time they still see the value of human collaboration as important.

As a result, companies are in a situation where they must tackle both efficiency and collaboration. As AI absorbs repetitive questions and routine tasks, productivity can rise, but functions such as building trust within teams, onboarding new hires and organisational learning are increasingly likely to require separate design. In particular, for organisations that maintain hybrid work, how to operate expanded AI use alongside people-centred collaboration structures is emerging as a key challenge.