AI Brain Fry Is Hitting Your Best People
FrequencyApril 09, 202600:06:57

AI Brain Fry Is Hitting Your Best People

HBR and BCG have a name for it: AI brain fry. It's cognitive overload from constantly monitoring AI output, and it's already hitting 14% of US workers. The workers affected most aren't the reluctant adopters — they're your highest performers, 40% more likely to be rated as critical to retain.

🍳 The more polished the AI output looks, the less people scrutinise it. Reasoning drops, errors spike: a 39% increase in major mistakes. Time on email and admin tasks more than doubled for heavy AI users, while focused strategic work fell 9%.

🧠 The fix isn't a wellness programme. It's workflow design. Engaged managers who actively discuss AI with their teams reduce fatigue by 15%. Teams with shared AI practices outperform individuals racing to prove their own fluency. Chuck and Jenni talk through what that looks like for comms teams specifically.

https://theworkforward.substack.com/p/ai-brain-fry