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Can AI Really Become Your Next Teammate?
What a Groundbreaking Study from Harvard, Wharton, and P&G Reveals About the Future of Work
The Cybernetic Teammate Study
Last summer, researchers from Harvard, Wharton, and Procter & Gamble collaborated on an intriguing field experiment exploring how generative AI influences teamwork, creativity, and productivity in the workplace.
This study, known as "The Cybernetic Teammate," set out to answer an essential question: Can AI function as more than just another tech tool?
More specifically, can it become an actual teammate?
The experiment involved 776 professionals at P&G, simulating real-world product innovation challenges across four different business units. Participants were split into four groups:
Individuals working alone without AI assistance
Individuals working alone with AI
Two-person teams (one technical R&D expert, one commercial expert) without AI
Two-person teams working alongside AI
In this edition of Core Concepts, we take a look at some of the major findings from the research, which you can access in full here.
[Quick Aside]
One of the authors of this research is Ethan Mollick, an Associate Professor at Wharton and one of the top AI researchers in the space. His book, Co-Intelligence, is fantastic…no need to be overly technical to understand it. I recommend it often!
OK, back to our regular scheduled programming….
Key Findings in a Nutshell
From the 776 professionals at P&G, the study showed some interesting results in the following areas:
Performance Boost
Individuals using AI matched the performance of traditional two-person human teams.
AI-supported teams outperformed human-only teams, producing significantly higher-quality outcomes.
Breakthrough Innovations
Teams using AI were 3x more likely to create top-tier, breakthrough solutions compared to teams without AI.
Enhanced Efficiency
Individuals completed tasks about 16% faster with AI.
Teams using AI finished nearly 13% faster.
Despite working faster, AI-assisted groups generated more detailed, comprehensive solutions.
Breaking Down Professional Silos
Without AI? R&D specialists focused primarily on technical solutions; commercial specialists concentrated on market-driven ideas.
With AI? Professional silos largely disappeared, resulting in balanced solutions combining technical and market perspectives.
Leveling the Playing Field
Less-experienced employees using AI performed at levels comparable to experienced, high-performing teams, helping junior members contribute more effectively.
Positive Emotional Impact
Participants using AI reported feeling more enthusiastic, energized, and engaged.
They experienced less anxiety and frustration compared to those without AI.
Individuals working alone with AI felt as positive or better emotionally than those in traditional teams.
Improved Team Dynamics
AI reduced individual dominance in group discussions.
Teams collaborated more evenly and consistently, enhancing overall output quality.
Not All Sunshine and Rainbows…
Confidence Gap
Despite producing objectively better solutions, participants using AI were less confident in their own performance. This disconnect could potentially impact decision-making or acceptance of AI-generated outputs.
Dependence on AI-Generated Content
Many participants heavily relied on AI-generated content, which raises questions about the originality of ideas and long-term impacts on human creativity and problem-solving skills.
Reduced Idea Diversity
Solutions generated with AI assistance showed greater semantic similarity, potentially reducing the overall diversity of ideas produced across teams and risking a narrower scope of innovation over time.
Short-Term Nature of the Experiment
Because the study was a short-term, one-day experiment, it did not capture long-term challenges such as potential reliance on technology, integration issues, or decreased motivation to develop deep expertise in human team members.
The one-day nature of this experiment is particularly important to note, as it doesn’t crack into the long-term implications of this pairing.
Why The Study Matters
This study reveals that generative AI has the potential not just to support but genuinely collaborate with human teams. Such a capability could significantly reshape team organization, workflow structures, and innovation processes. Businesses may soon rethink traditional team compositions, using AI to boost creativity, efficiency, and employee satisfaction.
"The Cybernetic Teammate" study throws some weight behind the idea that AI, when used well, doesn't replace human collaboration; it can, perhaps, enhance and enrich it.
To view the entire study, you can download it here.
AI Training & Development with North Light AI
OK, a brief but admittedly shameless plug for North Light AI’s training and development workshops, which we’re offering with the University of New Hampshire’s Professional Development & Training team:
Strategic AI Planning for Business Leaders | May 30 | 9am - 11am | Live Online
AI for Small Business & Entrepreneurship | June 13 | 9am - 11am | Live Online
Building Custom AI Chatbots for Business | June 27 | 9am - 11am | Live Online
AI-Generated Video & Multimedia | July 18 | 9am - 11am | Live Online
AI & Data Visualization | July 25 | 9am - 11am | Live Online
AI & Automation in Business Operations | August 8 | 9am-11am | Live Online
Register here.