Highly skilled workers have been training AI – that comes at a cost

RECENT research has fuelled optimism about artificial intelligence’s (AI) potential. In a large call centre study, access to an AI assistant significantly improved agents’ ability to resolve problems, with the biggest gains recorded among newer workers. Other research on coding tools such as GitHub Copilot found that AI helped users, especially junior developers, complete tasks more quickly.

At first glance, these reports seem to be telling a straightforward story of technological progress. A tool helps people do their jobs better. Customers benefit. Companies benefit. Workers, particularly those early in their careers, gain access to expertise that once took years to accumulate.

But there’s a catch.