Think-Tank CEO: Overreliance on AI Is Quietly Eroding Worker Confidence — And Careers

Mehdi Paryavi, CEO of the International Data Center Authority, warns that indiscriminate workplace use of artificial intelligence can undermine employees' confidence and long-term career prospects. While AI often boosts speed and apparent productivity, Paryavi says that overreliance can hollow out practical skills and create what he calls a "quiet cognitive erosion."

Why Paryavi Sounds the Alarm

Paryavi, who advises companies and governments on the data centers that power AI, told Business Insider that poorly designed or universal AI deployment is driving a trend of "down-skilling." He argues that when workers come to rely on AI for writing, analysis, and judgment, they may lose confidence in their own abilities and stop practicing the critical thinking skills that sustained their careers.

"If you come to believe that AI writes better than you and thinks smarter than you, you will lose your own confidence in yourself," Paryavi said.

Research and Expert Views

Emerging research supports his concerns. A report from the Work AI Institute, produced with scholars from Notre Dame, Harvard, and UC Santa Barbara, found that office workers can feel more productive using AI even as their underlying skills erode. Rebecca Hinds, director of the Work AI Institute, describes this as an "illusion of expertise" that poses particular risk to early-career employees who still need to develop foundational skills.

Anastasia Berg, a philosophy professor at the University of California, Irvine, has warned that heavy AI reliance can cause rapid skill atrophy among junior staff who never fully learn to reason through problems independently.

Where Speed Falls Short

Paryavi notes that AI's biggest selling point is speed — faster reports, quicker launches, accelerated analysis — but faster output does not always equal better quality. AI can generate professional-sounding content that lacks the depth of experience and domain knowledge accumulated through years of hands-on work.

Practical Recommendations

Paryavi is not opposed to AI, but he urges thoughtful, role-based adoption:

• Limit AI access by job function. Some roles should use AI heavily while others should prioritize human judgment.
• Keep humans leading creative work. Humans should set the brief, framework, and strategic direction before AI is used.
• Require human quality checks. "You, the human you, must quality check AI, not the other way around," Paryavi says.

Bottom Line

AI may not eliminate jobs outright, but unchecked reliance can quietly erode the confidence and thinking skills that underpin careers. Employers who prioritize speed over skill risk creating a workforce that looks more productive on paper while losing the judgment and expertise that matter most in the long run.