Companies betting on AI-driven productivity gains may be hollowing out their talent base, warns Anastasia Berg, a philosophy professor at the University of California, Irvine. Berg says heavy reliance on AI is accelerating skill attrition, especially among junior employees who skip foundational learning in favor of automated assistance. She points to research indicating AI can boost speed and engagement but often at the expense of depth, creativity and critical thinking. A large-scale analysis cited in the discussion found most adult ChatGPT use is non-work-related, fueling concerns about broader cognitive offloading. The upshot: firms could create workforces that look more efficient on paper but struggle to perform without AI, raising long-term execution and training risks.
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