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At a recent leadership retreat in India, a product manager at a mid-size tech company revealed something that was completely silent in the room. She said that she would rather talk about her job anxieties with an AI than with her own boss, even when her boss wasn’t mean and her team culture wasn’t bad; she just didn’t want to be judged, remembered, or have any hidden agendas by her boss. The entire room went silent. That’s how everyone knows exactly how she feels.
In 2024, a Microsoft WorkLab study showed that 75% of all knowledge workers stated they were unable to find a place to think and focus at work where they wouldn’t be judged. Now that thinking space is being replaced by talking to AI.
When human judgment leaves the team
For years now, psychological safety: the idea that individuals feel comfortable sharing ideas, making mistakes, and showing vulnerability, has been a core element of high-performance team research. At Google, when researching “Project Aristotle,” researchers determined that this was the one thing most associated with effective teams. As of 2026, however, there are increasing numbers of professionals who feel that while it is easier to feel safe discussing issues and concerns with machines than humans, that shouldn't give them pause.
What workplace problems are exposed through technology?
While most view this as a technological issue, I believe the reality is that this is a workplace problem that is being exposed by technology. When someone goes to AI for help and guidance because they are unwilling to discuss issues with their team members, it is generally not because they like talking to machines more than humans. Generally, it is because the human option carries too much baggage, past issues, prior conversations, and potential consequences. The reason why the AI "wins" is that the threshold for connecting with others within many workplaces has fallen so far that the non-human options are considered viable alternatives.
Leadership questions hidden beneath this phenomenon
From a practical standpoint, there is an important observation in this situation for those in positions of power, i.e., leadership or personnel managers. If the people on your team are using an AI to process their legitimate fears, aspirations, and uncertainty as opposed to having these discussions with you or with each other, you don't have a technology adoption issue; you have a trust deficit, and it likely took some time to develop.
Trust is lost slowly over time and often quietly through small events such as ignoring employees’ comments, providing feedback that is perceived as evaluative vs. supportive, and the overall impression that honesty may lead to greater professional risks than silence. By the time it becomes apparent, the lack of trust has already developed over time.
The change needed
Those leaders who build strong connections among their teams in 2026 are going to be those who care more about what AI replaces than how to limit access to AI or how many hours per day their employees spend on screens. Those leaders will also seek answers regarding what AI is replacing and why, and then take steps to fill the gaps in their own human leadership practices.
Humans are capable of creating strong connections among themselves; creating those connections takes effort and commitment from both parties involved.