Convenience vs. Connection: Is AI Pushing Us Apart?

Why Efficiency is Slowly Replacing Authentic Interaction

So, I finally joined LinkedIn, the world’s largest work-based social media platform. You’ve probably heard of it.

We have just launched our training company, ‘ManageKind’. I thought it would be a good idea to start building an audience for our courses. At first, it was refreshing; LinkedIn is not toxic like other social media platforms.  It seems full of people who genuinely want to connect or understand the importance of connection.

But, as I spent more time on the platform, I noticed something else - a growing amount of AI-generated content. 

There are copied, generic posts with little depth; formulaic responses and even fake profiles. It became clear that while some people or entities wanted to connect, regardless of the reason, they weren’t bothered about putting in the effort.

This made me think about my time at the CIPD Festival of Work; where AI was being touted as the solution to managing people. But was it also making us lazy in how we connect with each other?

Around the same time, a close friend of mine; a seasoned marketer with over 20 years of freelance experience, applied for a role in an industry she knows inside and out. She was the perfect fit - her skills, experience and expertise aligned seamlessly with the job requirements. It should have been a done deal had the entire recruitment process not been driven by AI.

Quite soon into the application, a simple question tripped her up and she was immediately filtered out. She never got the chance to speak to a person or plead her case. Her experience was reduced to an algorithmic decision, which cost her the job and the company an ideal candidate. Not that they would ever know!

In our race to make life easier and more convenient, we’re sacrificing one of the most essential things that make us human: our need for connection.

The Convenience Trade-Off

Unfortunately, these aren’t isolated incidents, and automation is nothing new. 

More and more companies are leaning on AI to streamline processes, often at the expense of human connection. It’s convenient, efficient, and cost-effective, but what happens when convenience replaces the chance to interact, connect, and truly understand each other? 

This trend isn’t limited to recruitment. From automated customer service and AI-driven performance reviews to cashierless stores like Amazon Go; convenience has become the driver across industries. In chasing efficiency, we’re often pushing human connection to the side, and, as my friend’s experience shows, both people and companies may be losing out.

Even though most of us are now aware of the power of AI and the multitude of tasks it can help us with. How aware are we of how much it overlooks the human touch, empathy, nuance, and relationships? A study by PwC found that 82% of consumers want more human interaction, especially when making important decisions like buying a house, applying for a job, or seeking medical help.

Will the rise of AI and automation create a movement of people wanting more connection with each other?

The Human Need for Connection

We are wired for connection. Research shows that meaningful interactions, whether at work or in everyday life, boost emotional well-being, engagement, and trust. A Gallup study reveals that employees who have a close connection with their manager are 2.3x more likely to be engaged at work. Yet, as AI becomes more integrated into our processes, the opportunities for these moments are fading.

In leadership and management, the impact of AI is particularly telling. Teams thrive on genuine human relationships, yet when feedback or performance reviews come solely from algorithms, employees can start to feel like data points rather than valued individuals. Convenience may seem appealing, it’s quick and easy, but when it overshadows real connection, we risk creating workplaces where people feel unseen and undervalued.

Consider a new hire who interacts only with a chatbot during onboarding, missing the personal support and guidance a real manager can provide. Imagine team dynamics shaped by algorithmic feedback rather than genuine, insightful conversations. Without that human touch, we risk losing the trust, engagement, and rapport that only person-to-person connection can foster.

We are not numbers or pixels on a screen. If we start treating each other that way, what kind of workplace, and world, are we building?

Finding Balance: AI as a Tool, Not a Replacement

When used thoughtfully, AI can free up time for meaningful conversations and interactions. It can handle the repetitive, mundane tasks that often bog down managers, allowing leaders to focus on building connections within their teams. Here’s how leaders can strike the right balance:

• Use AI to enhance, not replace, conversations: Let AI handle the admin work, but schedule in-person meetings for decision-making, feedback, and team-building.

  
  

• Keep human touchpoints in onboarding: Use AI to streamline paperwork, but ensure new hires meet their managers, even virtually, to build rapport early.

  
  

• AI for insights, human connection for action: Let AI give you data on performance or engagement, but have managers deliver the feedback and discuss career development in person.

  
  

The Impact of AI on Everyday Interactions

But it’s not just in the workplace where AI is impacting how we connect. From shopping to banking, AI is quietly reshaping how we interact daily.

Think about how we shop, bank, or even order food:

• Online shopping: Platforms like Amazon use recommendation algorithms and cashierless stores like Amazon Go, allowing people to shop without interacting with a single human. But when things go wrong, like a missing package or faulty product, it can feel nearly impossible to get help. Amazon’s AI-driven customer service makes it difficult to lodge a complaint, leaving customers feeling unheard and forced to 'just deal with it.'

  
  

• Mobile banking: Apps like Monzo and Revolut use AI to automate savings and offer financial insights, replacing the need for branch visits. But if you miss a notification or encounter a fraudulent charge, it can be a battle to get real help. Automated systems often lack the nuance to resolve complex issues.

  
  

• Subscriptions: With many subscription-based services, streaming platforms, apps, even gym memberships, automated renewals can catch users off-guard. Miss a notification, and you’ve been charged again. And often, there’s no clear way to contest it or speak to a real person.

  
  

• Food delivery: Services like UberEats and Deliveroo streamline food orders with zero human interaction, AI handles everything from restaurant selection to delivery route optimization. But when an order is wrong or delayed, good luck trying to talk to a person. Customer support is automated, leaving users with no real way to fix the issue.

  
  

While all of these things make life easier, they’re also creating a world where we interact less and less with real people. We’re outsourcing our need for connection in exchange for seamless, impersonal efficiency, and when things go wrong, we’re left frustrated, powerless, and disconnected.

Is this the future we want?

A Lesson From History - The Importance Of Connection

As we continue to embrace AI, we must ask ourselves: are we using it to make our lives easier at the expense of meaningful human connection? 

During the pandemic, we experienced the isolation of virtual-only interactions and craved face-to-face contact. We were locked down in tiny bubbles unable to visit loved ones. People died in hospitals and care homes alone, not allowed to say goodbye to those closest to them. 

One of the few positives from that crazy time was the reminder of how essential human connection is for our well-being. And in a world increasingly divided, by politics, social issues, and the pressures of daily life, the need to stay connected has never been more important.

Whether at work or in our daily routines, the convenience of AI-driven solutions is tempting, but what happens when we let it replace the bonds that hold us together? How can we ensure that as leaders and individuals, we don’t lose the very thing that makes life worth living: our relationships with each other?

Thankfully we are not fully disconnected and there are simple shifts you can make to bring human connection back into your daily life:

• Opt for the Person over the Screen: Skip the self-checkout line and chat with the cashier. It might take an extra moment, but a quick conversation or shared smile can make both your day and theirs a little brighter.

  
  

• Deliver Feedback Face-to-Face: Whenever possible, share feedback in person or via video rather than through email or messaging. Seeing each other’s expressions adds depth and makes the interaction more meaningful.

  
  

• Choose Real Connection with Colleagues: Instead of sending a quick Slack message, walk over to a colleague or hop on a brief video call. These small, in-person moments build rapport and strengthen relationships over time.

  
  

• Engage in Small Talk: When waiting in line, sitting in a waiting room, or commuting, put your phone away and engage in small talk with those around you. A simple smile or “hello” can lead to unexpected, uplifting connections.

  
  

There are still many opportunities to connect, with friends, family and strangers it's just harder to pull yourself away from the multitude of distractions sitting in your pocket.

Final Reflection

Ultimately, the future is here, with AI leading the charge. We live in an age of constant distractions, where every moment is claimed by external demands on our attention. To reclaim our time, many of us are eager to automate wherever possible, letting technology take on the tasks that fill our days.

But in a world where our phones, social media, and screens were initially intended to connect us, we’re already facing the unintended side effects: studies reveal heightened anxiety, reduced attention spans, and a sense of isolation from those around us. Movements urging us to ‘disconnect to reconnect’ are growing, as people seek to reclaim their lives from tech dependence.

Yet, just as we recognise the need to reconnect, we’re leaning even further into AI, letting it quietly take over the very interactions that once brought us closer. Instead of disconnecting from devices, we’re starting to disconnect from each other, entrusting AI and automation to do the work that once required a personal touch. 

However, the real question is: how much more of what makes us human are we willing to let AI take from us?

It’s easy to rely on convenience, but connection is something we need to protect and nurture—both at work and in our everyday lives. In our first article, we explored how AI can never truly replace empathy in human management. But as this article shows, it’s not just empathy we’re outsourcing to AI—it’s connection itself. As we continue to prioritize convenience, we risk losing the meaningful interactions that make us human.