AI Can Augment Human Collaboration, But Only If Used Correctly

A recent study of 776 professionals at Procter & Gamble has revealed that individuals working with AI can match the performance of two-person teams without it.

The researchers found that when participants were given access to a generative AI tool, they produced more balanced proposals and combined technical and commercial thinking, which is usually filled by cross-functional colleagues. This suggests that AI may not necessarily replace human collaboration but rather augment it.

The study also highlighted the importance of using an AI response to expose the missing side of a problem. It's not just about accepting the first plausible answer but also forcing a problem out of its usual groove created by one person's training.

A second experiment, which involved 1,174 adults aged 25-45, found that participants who used a generative AI assistant showed improved performance across education groups. However, when the tool was removed, the lower-education group retained some of their gain but much of the initial performance gap returned.