AI is eroding employee skills. Here’s how managers can stop it.
AI is rewriting the rules of work—and management. As employees lean on AI daily, a new threat is emerging: skill erosion. According to an IBM survey, 75% of worried workers say AI is already dulling their abilities, particularly critical thinking.
Researchers call it “cognitive surrender”: blindly accepting AI’s answers instead of doing the hard thinking yourself. It kills autonomy, confidence, and career growth.
The timing couldn't be worse. Companies are actively flattening org charts. Tech giants are slashing middle management to get leaner, and Gartner predicts AI will wipe out over half of these roles by 2026.
So, how do the remaining managers step up? Aparna Nair, IBM’s chief talent officer, says bosses must stop *directing* work and start *coaching* for impact. Because managers see their teams daily, they are uniquely positioned to spot skill gaps and guide development.
To fight skill erosion, IBM recommends managers:
* **Protect early-career learning:** Don't let junior employees skip the foundational grind.
* **Personalize upskilling:** Spot shifting skills and assign targeted practice.
* **Force the reps:** Keep skills sharp through stretch assignments, rotations, and internal gigs.
Ditch the admin tasks like scheduling and tracking. A manager’s time is best spent motivating and mentoring. AI can handle the paperwork, but it can't handle the human element.
As Nair puts it: “Human coaching doesn’t scale at the level at which AI can scale.”