AI is genuinely good at what it does. It gives us speed. It recognizes patterns we’d miss. It scales output in ways that were unthinkable just a few years ago. It reduces friction, automates repetitive work, and frees up time and mental energy.
But there’s something important it doesn’t do and can’t do. AI cannot feel and therefore it cannot grasp context emotionally. It doesn’t read the room. And it cannot build trust on its own. That gap matters more than we might expect.
When automation grows, connection quietly shrinks
One of the promises of AI is that it frees up space in our work lives. Fewer manual steps. Fewer dependencies. Sometimes even fewer people to coordinate with. But there’s a quieter side effect: as coordination decreases, so does human connection.
Less collaboration can mean:
- Fewer moments to exchange ideas
- Fewer chances to feel seen
- Fewer opportunities to build shared meaning
Over time, this can leave people feeling:
- Less ownership over their work
- Less mastery and pride
- Less visible and valued
And here’s the paradox: the very efficiency that AI brings can unintentionally create a sense of emptiness at work. Because the only thing that truly compensates for that loss is human connection. Being seen. Being heard. Being valued.
Human connection is not optional for wellbeing
Humans don’t flourish in isolation, no matter how capable and independent they are. We are social beings and need connection to thrive.
We are wired for connection. This isn’t sentimental; it’s a biological and psychological fact. Truly relating to other people, feeling understood, appreciated, and connected, is a key pillar of balanced health and wellbeing. It regulates stress. It builds resilience. It gives meaning to effort.
And the data backs this up: 94% of employees say feeling connected to colleagues makes them more productive, four times more satisfied, and half as likely to quit.
AI can support our work, but it cannot replace the experience of being in relationship with other humans. When connection erodes, wellbeing follows. And organizations often notice it only when burnout, disengagement or attrition are already high.
And that’s where leadership becomes more important, not less.
The changing role of leadership in an AI world
One surprising effect of AI is that it doesn’t reduce uncertainty. On the contrary, it amplifies ambiguity.
With so much information available instantly, we’re faced with more decisions:
- What do we trust?
- What do we automate?
- What do we keep human?
- What really matters here?
And making those decisions requires something AI doesn’t handle well at all: trust. Trust is relational. It lives in conversations, in the way we handle conflict, in the care we show when things are hard. This is where the human touch becomes essential.
When knowledge is abundant and easy to access, leadership shifts away from being the expert with answers and towards:
- Sense-making
- Emotional regulation
- Creating spaces where people think together
- Coaching and fostering human development
In my experience working with teams, I have learned that most of the time they don’t fail because they lack tools. They fail because they lack connection, clarity, and trust. Human connection is a performance multiplier. Teams that trust each other, that feel seen by their leaders, and that know their work matters, move faster, solve problems more creatively, stay together longer and burn out far less. No algorithm can replace that.
The business case for more connection when AI is widespread
There’s also a very practical, bottom-line reason to invest in human connection. Businesses need diverse ideas and these usually are shaped by people with different backgrounds, experiences, cultures, and ways of thinking. Those ideas are richer than anything AI can generate on its own.
When we rely too heavily on algorithms, we risk creating intellectual silos:
- Narrow perspectives
- Recycled patterns
- Less creative friction
Innovation doesn’t come from optimization alone. It comes from people truly understanding and appreciating different viewpoints and working through complexity together. In this age of AI, facilitating human connection in the work community is a necessary skill for innovation.
Connection isn’t a perk. It’s a competitive advantage.
What organizations can do
If remote or hybrid work is here to stay and AI continues to grow, then we have to be intentional about protecting and strengthening human connection. And this does not require big programs or complex frameworks.
A few places to start:
- Be mindful of how much time we spend interacting with actual people, not just tools.
- Invest in developing skills that involve human connection like leadership, collaboration and coaching.
- Institute regular wellbeing check-ins, especially one-on-one. Not to track performance, but to genuinely connect.
- Encourage more frequent in-person interactions when possible. Even occasional moments together make a difference.
- As leaders, model the behavior. Reach out. Ask questions. Be present. Connection starts at the top.
A final thought
AI will continue to get better, faster, and more powerful. But as it does, our need for human connection doesn’t shrink — it grows. The organizations that will thrive in an AI-driven world won’t be the ones that automate the most. They’ll be the ones that remember what makes work meaningful in the first place. And that, fundamentally, is human connection.
