AI could make you a star at work and then set you back, here is why

AI might be your secret weapon at work

AI tools can make everyday work feel easier and faster. Reports get written quicker, research takes less time, and ideas seem to flow with less effort. For many workers, that boost can feel like a career superpower almost overnight.

But some experts warn that this sudden jump in performance may come with a hidden tradeoff. The same tools that make you look like a star today could quietly chip away at the very skills that got you there.

The short term glow up is real

John Nosta, founder of the innovation think tank NostaLab, says AI can clearly lift performance in the moment. Tasks feel smoother, output looks more polished, and workers often seem more capable with less visible struggle.

That quick improvement is part of why AI is often framed as a simple upgrade. It helps people write faster, analyze information more easily, and produce work that might have taken much longer on their own.

Then comes the quiet downside

Nosta argues the real issue shows up later, after the boost. When people lean too heavily on AI, they may stop exercising the mental skills that used to carry them through tough tasks on their own.

Over time, those underused skills can weaken. So when the tool is not available, performance may not just return to normal. It can actually dip below the person’s original baseline ability.

A medical example makes it clear

Nosta compares the effect to a doctor performing a colonoscopy with AI assistance. The system helps scan for small polyps, which can improve detection and make the doctor seem more effective during the procedure.

The problem appears when the same doctor performs the procedure without AI the next day. According to Nosta, the doctor’s skill can fall below their earlier baseline because the tool handled part of the cognitive load.

Confidence can rise as skill slips

Another risk Nosta highlights is a mismatch between confidence and actual ability. AI can make work feel so smooth that people start to believe they fully understand tasks that the system is heavily supporting.

That growing confidence is not always backed by independent skill. Workers may feel more capable than they truly are when asked to handle similar challenges without AI in the loop.

Others share the same concern

Nosta’s warning echoes concerns from other experts. Rebecca Hinds of the Work AI Institute and physicist Saul Perlmutter have both said AI can create an illusion of understanding while quietly weakening human judgment.

In these cases, people may rely on AI outputs without fully questioning or checking them. The result can be a false sense of mastery that hides gaps in real comprehension.

High stakes jobs face bigger risks

This gap between confidence and competence can be especially dangerous in high-stakes fields. Workers may make decisions that stretch beyond their true judgment once AI support is suddenly removed.

Nosta suggests that the danger is not just doing worse work. It is making bold choices based on an inflated sense of ability that was partly built on algorithmic help.

Younger workers may feel it most

Nosta describes a growing cognitive codependent relationship with AI, especially among younger workers entering jobs where these tools are built into daily workflows from the start.

If AI is used as a partner for learning, he believes it can make people smarter. If it becomes a substitute for thinking, he warns, it may slowly make people less capable on their own.

Research points to shallower thinking

Researchers at Oxford University Press reached a similar conclusion in a recent report. They said AI can help students work faster, but it may lead to less depth in their thinking.

Kimberley Hardcastle of Northumbria University has also warned that heavy reliance on AI can weaken epistemic vigilance. That is the ability to independently verify, challenge, and build knowledge without algorithms.

Why this matters for the future of work

In Nosta’s view, the biggest threat in the AI era may not be machines getting smarter. It could be humans slowly forgetting how to think, judge, and problem-solve without constant digital support.

He warns that for the first time in history, human cognition itself could face a kind of obsolescence if people hand over too much of their thinking to tools designed to assist them.

For a view of where AI may be heading next and why the stakes are rising, check out OpenAI leader Sam Altman’s forecast for a significant turning point for AI.

AI can lift you up and hold you back

AI can absolutely help people shine at work, sometimes faster than they thought possible. But that same boost can mask a slow erosion of core skills if the technology becomes a crutch rather than a coach.

Balancing AI support with independent thinking may be one of the most important workplace habits of the future.

For a wider look at how leadership, incentives, and oversight shape AI risk, read why AI safety is so hard?

What do you think about AI making you better at work but slowly weakening your skills? Share your thoughts.

This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.

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