More Than A Third Of Employees Now Turn To AI For Companionship At Work

Workday’s Human Connection Workplace Index, surveying 2,150 employees across seven countries, found that 37 percent now use AI for companionship at work, while a third rarely have a non-transactional conversation with a colleague in a given week and 14 percent have taken time off due to loneliness, a figure that rises to 20 percent among Gen Z. The same employees report the productivity upside is real: 86 percent feel more productive and 62 percent say stress or burnout has decreased.

Reported by: Workday research

Norm's Take

Productivity and connection are decoupling inside the same workforce. A leadership team that tracks only the productivity metric will miss the retention and culture risk building underneath it, particularly among a Gen Z cohort reporting disconnection from colleagues at twelve times the rate of Gen X.

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Norm Murray, CEO and Founder of Norm E. Murray
About the author
Norm Murray
AI Leadership Advisor · Psychologist · Economist
Norm advises CEOs, boards and senior leaders on the psychology and economics of AI adoption: what AI does to leaders and organizations, not just what it does. He has led global businesses across multiple continents and writes The Norm Report for executives navigating the AI shift.
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Norm’s Edge is analysis and opinion intended for senior executive and board-level audiences. It does not constitute legal, financial, investment, compliance or regulatory advice. Stories are drawn from third-party reporting that may be unconfirmed. Readers should seek independent professional counsel before making decisions based on any content published here. Norm E. Murray does not accept any liability for actions taken in reliance on this analysis.

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