AI creates a friction paradox: leaders need to remove friction that wastes time while deliberately preserving friction that helps people learn, think and develop. AI can eliminate administrative work, repetitive processes, information searches and other barriers, freeing employees to spend more time on creativity, judgment and problem-solving. But making every task easier is not necessarily beneficial.
The bigger risk is removing productive struggle. Learning and critical thinking often require people to wrestle with difficult problems, make mistakes and revise their assumptions. If AI immediately supplies the answer, people may complete tasks more effectively without developing the underlying capability themselves. The article cites OECD research warning about cognitive offloading and “metacognitive laziness,” while also pointing to research linking greater confidence in AI with reduced critical-thinking effort among knowledge workers.
AI can also introduce new forms of friction that are harder to see. Overreliance on AI may weaken independent judgment and create automation bias, where people become less likely to challenge an incorrect AI recommendation. The article also argues that replacing human interactions with frictionless AI interactions could gradually weaken communication, empathy and relationship-building skills. In other words, AI may remove inconvenience while simultaneously creating dependency.
The broader takeaway is that good AI leadership is not about maximizing automation—it is about deciding what should and should not be automated. Leaders should eliminate unnecessary effort, but preserve the difficult experiences that build judgment, creativity, resilience and human connection. The central principle is simple: making work easier is not always the same as making people or organizations better.
