Expert Warns Overreliance on AI Could Erode Social Skills at Work

A protocol expert warned that leaning too heavily on artificial intelligence tools at work risks eroding "social intelligence" — the interpersonal judgment employees use to read colleagues, resolve conflict, and build trust — according to a report from Fox Business.

What did the protocol expert warn about?

The warning, as reported by Fox Business, centers on the idea that as AI systems take over more communication and decision-support tasks in offices, workers may practice fewer of the everyday social judgments — tone-reading, negotiation, informal conflict resolution — that build workplace rapport over time. The report frames the risk as a byproduct of convenience: tasks once handled through direct colleague interaction increasingly route through AI assistants instead.

What is "social intelligence" in the workplace, and why does it matter?

Social intelligence in this context refers to the soft-skill judgment that lets employees manage relationships, defuse tension, and collaborate without a script. It is distinct from the technical or analytical work AI tools are typically built to speed up, such as drafting, scheduling, or summarizing. The concern raised in the report is not that AI performs these tasks poorly, but that outsourcing them removes the repeated, low-stakes social reps that keep those muscles sharp.

How fast is workplace AI adoption growing?

The warning lands as AI tool adoption in offices accelerates. A separate report tracked by AI Productivity Hub projects the AI productivity tools market will reach $69.22 billion by 2035, a scale that underscores how central these tools are becoming to daily office workflows rather than remaining a niche add-on.

What are organizations saying about AI's emotional impact on staff?

A related AI Productivity Hub report has highlighted the emotional dynamics of AI use inside companies, examining how staff respond as AI systems take on a larger share of communication and coordination work. Read alongside the protocol expert's warning, the two reports point to the same underlying tension: efficiency gains from AI adoption may come paired with softer, harder-to-measure costs in how employees relate to one another.

What should workers and managers watch for?

The Fox Business report frames the risk as one of habit rather than capability — the fear that muscles go unused, not that they disappear outright. Employees who route routine interpersonal exchanges through AI drafting or scheduling tools may still retain social skills but exercise them less often in ambiguous, real-time situations. Some workplace communication tools, including keyboard assistants such as Smorgi's mindfulAI Keyboard, are built to keep phrasing and tone under the user's control rather than fully automating the exchange, an approach the broader debate over AI and social intelligence suggests employers may weigh more carefully going forward.

No figures on productivity loss or measured skill decline were included in the original report, and the Fox Business piece does not name a specific study behind the protocol expert's warning.

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