A new August 2025 survey of 1,007 U.S. employees by the Howdy hiring firm shows that “AI atrophy” is emerging in the workplace: workers say over-reliance on AI is eroding their abilities. Here are some highlights from the report:
- 21% now struggle doing tasks they once managed easily before AI.
- Nearly 1 in 4 say losing critical skills due to AI use as their primary anxiety around AI adoption.
- 1 in 10 rely entirely on AI to do their jobs — even though 37% judge colleagues who do the same.
For companies betting heavily on AI integration, this could mean a hidden cost: diminished skills and long-term employee dependency, according to Howdy. In fact, 21% believe that AI is making them “dumber” in the workplace.
