Relying on AI at Work: When AI Help Becomes a Problem | AI Addiction Podcast #2

Listen: the AI Addiction Podcast on Spotify. Spotify’s episode 2 is a different topic (Character.AI), so these are written notes only.

AI Addiction Podcast, Episode 2: “The Workplace Dependency You Don’t See Coming”

Episode notes. Originally posted August 16, 2025. Rewritten October 2026.

Do you use ChatGPT for every email? Do you find it hard to start a presentation without an AI draft? Using AI at work is normal and often useful. This episode looked at the point where it starts to feel like you cannot think or work without it. “AI addiction” is not a diagnosis, so we use the word “reliance” here.

How Common Is AI Use at Work?

Fewer people use AI heavily at work than the hype suggests. A Pew Research Center survey of 5,273 US workers in October 2024 found that about one in ten used AI chatbots at work every day or a few times a week, and 55 percent said they rarely or never did. (Pew Research Center).

Earlier notes quoted LinkedIn and McKinsey figures that we could not find anywhere, so we removed them.

What Research Says About Thinking and AI

A Microsoft Research survey of 319 knowledge workers, presented at the CHI 2025 conference, found that people who had more confidence in AI reported using less critical thinking on tasks. People with more confidence in their own skills reported more. The data were self-reported, and the study shows an association, not that AI makes people think less (Lee et al., CHI 2025).

Signs Your Work Use May Be Slipping Into Reliance

These are our own suggestions for self-checks, not clinical criteria.

• You cannot start a task without pasting it into a chatbot first
• You feel anxious or stuck when the tool is down
• You no longer trust your own first draft
• You ask AI to validate obvious decisions
• You are using it more than you want to, and cannot seem to cut back

Ways to Rebalance

• Do the first draft or the first ten minutes yourself, then use AI to improve it.
• Keep a few tasks for yourself, such as writing to people you care about.

When to Get Help

If worry, perfectionism or avoidance about work is taking over your days, a licensed therapist can help you with the pattern underneath. Try the Psychology Today directory or FindTreatment.gov, or call SAMHSA’s helpline at 1-800-662-4357.

Feeling unsafe or thinking of harming yourself? Call or text 988 (US), text HOME to 741741, or dial 911 for an emergency. Details: 988 Lifeline and Crisis Text Line.

Will AI use hurt my skills?

There is no solid evidence yet. Some self-report research links high trust in AI to less critical thinking. Keeping some tasks for yourself is a low-cost way to stay in practice.

What if I feel anxious when AI tools are down?

That is common when a tool is part of your routine. If the anxiety is strong or spreads to other parts of life, a therapist can help.

This page is for education only. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis or a treatment plan.