Most of employees are lonely at work, according to new Harvard Business Review research by Constance Noonan Hadley and Sarah L. Wright. The culprit, the they argue, is AI.
Three-quarters of knowledge workers now use AI for some form of social support — career advice, emotional encouragement, even friendship. But only 12% said it made them feel less lonely. Consolation with no connection = counterfeit comfort.
“AI is like a helpful ghost in the office: always there and responsive but never truly present.” — Study participant
Hadley and Wright identify four ways AI erodes workplace bonds: it depopulates collaboration; it atrophies social skills; it eliminates the small acts of asking-for-help that build trust and mutual gratitude; it creates what one participant called “false friendships.”
The cost of this loneliness is high: lonely workers report 27% lower job satisfaction and a 90% higher intention to quit than their connected colleagues. (Read more about the effects of workplace loneliness.)
AI adoption is only accelerating. What can companies do?
Collective movement is one of humanity’s oldest connective rituals, whether that’s in racing, dancing or prayer. The Harvard researchers recommend that companies “consider the creation of diverse social activity platforms, such as virtual social spaces, interest communities, and team-building activities.”
Which, surprise, brings us to Racery. A Racery virtual challenge puts your whole team — runners, cyclists, walkers, gardeners, swimmers — on a shared route. Every workout moves the team forward. The real-time activity feed becomes a live window into colleagues’ lives. The leader boards spark friendly trash-talk in Slack. Digital finish-line bling gets taped to refrigerators.
AI is a magnificent tool. But it was never meant to be a friend. Contact us for more new on how Racery’s virtual challenges help build connection and belonging.