Half of workers say they rely on AI more than they should — here are 3 habits that can help you stay ahead of AI
Half of workers say they rely on AI more than they should — here are 3 habits that can help you stay ahead of AI.
For all the time AI can save us, there's a growing concern that it may be costing some workers something else just as precious — practice.
A quick ChatGPT prompt can turn a rough email into a polished one. It can summarize a lengthy report, suggest ideas for a presentation, or help untangle a spreadsheet problem. Those shortcuts are part of why millions of people have started using AI at work.
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But there's a tradeoff. When a tool handles more of the tasks that once required your own judgment, problem-solving, and creativity, it's worth asking whether those skills are still getting enough use.
A new Pulse of Work 2026 report from GoTo (1) suggests many workers are already questioning their relationship with AI. Half of employees say they rely on it more than they should, while 39% say using it too much is making them less intelligent. Another 30% say they feel like they couldn't function at work without it.
That doesn't necessarily mean workers should stop using AI. The bigger question is whether they're using it to become more effective — or allowing it to replace too much of the thinking that allows them to grow in their careers.
As AI becomes a bigger part of the workplace — whether you agree with it or not — keeping your skills sharp may be just as important as learning how to use the technology.
It can be hard to notice when a helpful shortcut starts becoming a habit. That's why Dan Schawbel, workplace researcher and managing partner at Workplace Intelligence, recommends setting aside time each week to review how you're using AI.
In a piece he wrote for CNBC (2), Schawbel suggested doing a quick "AI audit" and asking yourself whether the technology is helping you work more efficiently — or whether you're handing over tasks you should still be practicing yourself.
"If you can't explain, defend, or redo the work AI produced without the tool, you've crossed from augmentation into dependency," Schawbel told Moneywise*.*
"The employees who stay sharp are the ones who use AI to speed up a first draft or surface options, but still apply their own judgment before it goes out the door, like checking outputs for accuracy and bias rather than accepting them at face value."
Am I using AI to speed up repetitive work, or am I avoiding tasks that would help me build skills?
Are there things I've stopped doing myself because AI can do them faster?
Am I using AI to improve my work, or simply to get a finished product?
The difference matters. Using AI to catch typos in a report you wrote is very different from asking it to create the report from start to finish. One gives you a productivity boost, while the other can mean missing out on the experience and problem-solving that helps you grow professionally.
A weekly check-in can help make sure AI remains a tool you control — rather than a tool that slowly starts doing the thinking for you. It doesn't need to be a formal review.
