The adoption of artificial intelligence, from large language models to more advanced agentic systems, is already delivering clear gains in productivity, cost efficiency and overall organizational performance. At the same time, as these tools become more embedded in day-to-day work, a quieter risk is emerging. Employees may increasingly struggle to explain the reasoning behind AI-generated outputs, question underlying assumptions or adapt when those systems fall short.

Over time, this creates a real leadership challenge: The same tools that drive efficiency may also erode the very human capabilities organizations depend on. Without deliberate intervention, leaders risk becoming, in the words of Henry David Thoreau (1854), a “tool of the tool.”

The quiet erosion of critical thinking

Many HR and organizational leaders assume AI will remove lower-level or repetitive tasks and free employees to focus on higher-value work. In many cases, that is already happening. For example, organizations are using AI to handle initial resume screening, quickly sorting through large applicant pools and identifying candidates who meet basic criteria. What once took hours of manual review can now be done in seconds, with greater consistency and the ability to scale hiring efforts. This shift allows HR teams to spend more time on deeper evaluation, candidate interaction and broader talent strategy.

However, this efficiency comes with a tradeoff that is easy to overlook. For example, when early-career HR professionals no longer spend time reviewing resumes, they lose one of the primary ways they develop judgment about talent and context. That experience of seeing patterns, spotting inconsistencies and learning what “good” looks like is difficult to replace. Over time, this can lead to a subtle form of de-skilling, where employees are less prepared to question or challenge the outputs they are given.

A different kind of technology shift

Part of the challenge is that AI is not simply another step in the evolution of workplace technology but a qualitative break that transforms decision-making. Most current leaders developed their judgment in environments where technology supported decision-making but did not replace the underlying thinking. Previous management information systems helped organize information, but individuals still had to interpret it, analyze it and draw conclusions. (If you are a senior HR or similar organizational leader today, this is almost certainly how you built and honed your expertise and judgment skills.)

AI changes that dynamic. These systems perform all elements of analysis, make recommendations and increasingly make and execute decisions. In doing so, they eliminate most of the cognitive effort that was once required to move from information to decision. While this creates massive efficiency, it removes the important experience-building needed for the development of early- and mid-career employees.

The organizational risk leaders aren’t measuring

Good leaders and organizations have always learned through experience, by reinforcing success or sometimes learning painfully through missteps after a period of reflection and adjustment. Those learning processes depend on individuals who can question outcomes, diagnose problems and adapt their thinking. However, when even basic cognitive work is outsourced to AI, that capability will almost certainly weaken over time, especially as experienced leaders exit the workforce. Compounding this is the increasingly polished and confident nature of AI outputs, which can make them harder to challenge, especially for less experienced employees.

Rethinking how critical thinking develops

If this dynamic continues, critical thinking can no longer be treated as something that develops naturally through work experience. Organizations may also find they cannot rely on external pipelines to fully develop these skills, as many of the same dynamics are already playing out in higher education, where heavy AI use is raising serious alarms about students’ ability to think and write independently.

Instead, critical thinking needs to be developed deliberately, much like leadership or technical skills, through intentional practice, reinforcement and feedback. This will likely require targeted investment, led by HR functions such as learning and development and organizational development, which already play a central role in building organizational capability.

See also: The great AI skills paradox

What this looks like in practice

In practical terms, this means creating space for employees to do the kind of thinking that today’s leaders did early in their careers but that is now often performed by AI. For example, some organizations are beginning to experiment with technology-free problem-solving training sessions, where teams work through issues without any technical assistance before introducing AI-generated perspectives. In other instances, leaders are asking employees to explain and defend decisions based on their own reasoning, rather than defaulting to AI system outputs.

Training can also play a major role in reducing these risks. For example, scenario-based exercises, simulations and case discussions can help employees practice analyzing information, forming judgments and articulating their reasoning. These approaches are not new. They have long been a staple in military and emergency management contexts, where organizations recreate scenarios to practice “real-world” events to build decision-making skills. HR can borrow and adapt these methods for leadership and skills development training.

The leadership shift required

Ultimately, this is not a learning and development issue. It is a leadership one. Leaders shape how work gets done through what they prioritize, reward and model. When today’s leaders, whose expertise came from environments requiring deep cognitive work, ask questions, invite alternative views and show their own thinking, they reinforce critical engagement. In this sense, thinking capability becomes a form of critical organizational infrastructure and a resource. As such, like any infrastructure, it requires ongoing attention.

Keep human judgment ahead of AI

AI will continue to reshape how work gets done, but human judgment must keep pace. Leaders who intentionally develop the cognitive skills of their people alongside their technology stand a far greater chance of maximizing productivity while ensuring the organization retains the cognitive capacity for wisdom, thoughtful decision-making and long-term resilience. With strong leadership and deliberate effort, employees can avoid becoming “tools of the tool.”

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