Gen Z believes using AI is making their colleagues dumb and lazy, but may paradoxically see it as key to their own promotion, Wharton says

A man works on two computers while a coworker looks on in the background. (Credit: Getty Images)

Last year, researchers from Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon University revealed startling evidence about the impact of using AI on how—and how hard—people think, finding that among more than 300 knowledge workers, leaning too much on AI tools like ChatGPT was associated with diminished critical thinking skills.

The study, mirrored by results from MIT-led research published last year, suggested that even using AI for low-stakes tasks such as proofreading “can lead to significant negative outcomes in high-stakes contexts,” like writing legal documents, the study authors wrote.