Shifting human-AI relationships: A thought experiment on the future of work
Dr Guy W Bate
Professional Teaching Fellow, Management and International Business
AI has long been seen as a productivity tool—automating tasks, analysing data, and streamlining workflows. But as a recent MIT Technology Review article—“The AI relationship revolution is already here” by Rhiannon Williams—reveals, its impact is becoming far more personal. AI is no longer just an assistant; it is shaping relationships, decision-making, and even self-perception.
Rhiannon’s article explores how people develop relationships with AI—for mediation, parenting advice, creative collaboration, and emotional support. This made me wonder: if we’re already forming personal connections with AI, could the same happen in the workplace? As AI becomes embedded in professional settings, the challenge isn’t just efficiency—it’s about how we interact, collaborate, and evolve alongside AI systems as colleagues, mentors…or even leaders.
In my innovation management classes, students speculate on technological trends, sketch future scenarios, and refine ideas using ChatGPT. Inspired by this, I applied the same approach to explore AI’s impact on workplace relationships. ChatGPT helped push beyond the obvious, prompting me—just as I encourage my students—to challenge assumptions and take creative leaps. For the final scenario, I even asked it to “go wild!”
The result? Three speculative futures on human–AI relationships to stimulate thought and discussion—two (relatively) plausible extensions of current trends and one that seems to push the limits (or maybe not!) of how AI might reshape business entirely.
Future 1: The “Second Brain”
In this future, AI isn’t just an assistant—it’s a thinking partner. It filters noise, synthesises insights, and even detects shifts in team morale. Before a meeting, AI doesn’t just prepare an agenda—it anticipates decisions, flagging risks and surfacing trends in real time. Leaders walk into discussions already equipped with a precise summary of key developments, making high-stakes decision-making faster and more informed.
The result? Cognitive overload disappears. AI distils weak signals from workplace conversations, identifying potential roadblocks before they escalate. Meetings become radically more efficient, with AI summarising discussions in real time and even suggesting resolutions before executives weigh in. Leaders focus on interpretation rather than information-gathering, spending more time strategising and less time sifting through endless data streams.
The AI Second Brain offers immense ‘efficiency’, but it presents a challenge: How do leaders stay sharp in an AI-driven world? If AI increasingly dictates direction, will the next generation of executives still develop the instinct, judgment, and strategic vision that leadership has always required? The future of decision-making may be faster—but will it be better?
Dr Guy W Bate
Future 2: The AI Mediator
Workplace conflict is inevitable, but in this future, AI becomes an active participant in workplace relationships, acting as an emotionally intelligent, data-driven mediator. Instead of waiting for tensions to escalate, AI monitors team dynamics in real time, detecting early signs of friction—missed deadlines, passive-aggressive emails, or disengagement in meetings. The AI doesn’t just flag issues; it interprets human interactions, identifying patterns of disagreement and anticipating when intervention is needed.
When conflict arises, AI proactively steps in. If two colleagues struggle to collaborate, it analyses past interactions and suggests a neutral script to guide their conversation. If a team is experiencing friction, AI pinpoints the source—whether it’s miscommunication, workload imbalances, or clashing work styles—and recommends structural adjustments. Over time, employees learn to rely on AI’s intervention as a standard part of team management.
The result? A workplace where disputes are resolved before they escalate. AI removes emotional volatility, offering data-driven, neutral interventions that reshape workplace relationships. Employees grow accustomed to consulting AI for conflict resolution, often preferring its unbiased, objective approach over traditional HR mediation. Leaders trust AI to manage team harmony, while HR departments see a significant reduction in escalated disputes.
The AI Mediator creates a workplace with fewer disputes—but also fewer hard-earned lessons. If AI handles interpersonal friction, do we risk workplaces where human connection is managed, rather than developed?
Future 3: The ‘Phantom Organisation’
Now let’s push the boundaries of speculation. What if a company could run entirely on AI—no executives, no managers, no employees—just an ecosystem of AI agents autonomously making decisions, negotiating deals, and managing operations?
In this future, a group of investors launches a business with no traditional workforce. Instead, AI-driven entities handle everything—monitoring market trends, adjusting strategy in real time, optimising supply chains, and even managing customer service and product development. With AI continuously refining decisions at machine speed, these companies pivot and scale faster than human-led organisations ever could.
A new class of ‘Phantom Organisations’ emerges—businesses that exist purely as AI-managed systems, operating 24/7 without human oversight. Investors and entrepreneurs fuel growth, but they no longer manage employees or oversee day-to-day decisions. These AI-driven firms compete at a level of efficiency that human-led businesses can’t match, creating a new paradigm for corporate success.
But this shift fundamentally alters the human-AI relationship in business. If AI eliminates human leadership, does business itself lose something essential? Without CEOs, managers, or employees, where does strategy, vision, and innovation come from? Can an AI-driven company truly understand customer needs, or does it optimise based purely on data, without human intuition?
Most critically, what happens to human work? As AI-run businesses outcompete traditional firms, industries will be forced to redefine the role of people in the economy. Do we become supervisors of AI-driven enterprises, or does work as we know it become obsolete?
The choice ahead
These three speculative futures highlight ways AI might transform business. But the real question isn’t just what’s possible—it’s what kind of future we want to create.
As AI takes on a greater role in professional relationships, we have a unique opportunity: to shape its integration in ways that enhance human capabilities, rather than replace them. The choices we make today—about how we lead, collaborate, and innovate alongside AI—will define the businesses of tomorrow.
So, how will you harness AI to build a smarter, more dynamic, but still human-centred future of work?
References
Williams, R. (2025, February 13). The AI relationship revolution is already here. MIT Technology Review.
About the author
Dr Guy W Bate is a Professional Teaching Fellow in innovation and strategy at the University of Auckland Business School, specialising in integrating advanced technologies into education with a focus on AI. A passionate advocate for the transformative power of AI in learning, Guy is also a member of the Board of Editors for Research-Technology Management (RTM).
