THE BRIEFING

DO BUSINESSES LACK LEADERSHIP CLARITY FOR AI ADOPTION?

of leaders expect AI agents in workflows within a year, but only 30 % of workers say the same

IS THERE A‘ CONNECTION DEFICIT’ AT WORK?

Research from Workday suggests that AI may be contributing to a‘ connection deficit’ in the workplace, with 20 % of Gen Z workers reporting they took time off work this year due to feelings of loneliness or isolation. A third of employees say they rarely or never have conversations with colleagues that go beyond work-related tasks, and less than half say they find it easy to make friends at work.“ We are seeing that AI is having a very positive effect on productivity at work, and employees across all industries globally are clearly telling of leaders are involving employees directly in AI job redesign

us they feel less burned out than before they started using AI tools,” says Carrie Varoquiers, Chief Impact Officer at Workday.“ But our Index cautions that, as we route more questions, ideas and even conflicts through AI, we risk losing the everyday human interactions that build trust, resilience and a sense of connection.” To combat this, Workday’ s research advises that leaders treat social connection as core workplace infrastructure – intentionally designing systems for collaboration, feedback and mentorship.

16 July 2026