Many leaders are expressing growing concern about the potential for skill atrophy as artificial intelligence tools become more deeply embedded in the workplace. A recent study from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, based on a survey of nearly 800 senior decision-makers at large U.S. companies, reveals a clear tension: while 73% of respondents credit AI with boosting efficiency, 43% worry that overreliance on the technology could erode essential job skills. Jacob Adamson, a senior software engineer at Varonis, experienced this firsthand when an AI coding assistant he regularly uses suddenly froze. In that moment, he found himself unable to write code without it. “I felt the rust, as if I had come back to this code after a couple of days,” he said. The incident sparked concern not just for himself but for the five engineers he manages. To counteract the risk, he’s considering implementing “no-AI” coding drills to keep his team’s foundational skills sharp. The fear is that as AI takes over routine and complex tasks—summarizing documents, generating code, analyzing data—workers may lose the ability to perform those tasks independently. Sandor Nyako, a manager of 50 software engineers at a major tech company, shares this concern. While he appreciates the speed AI brings, he worries that overuse could dull critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. “If we develop an over-reliance on AI, it might make us dumb,” he said. “Someone would plateau at their current level.” Nyako believes that the struggle to solve problems is essential to growth and innovation. “To grow skills, people need to go through hardship. They need to develop the muscle to think through problems,” he said. Without that, he questions whether workers will be able to assess the accuracy of AI outputs. Some experts argue that skill atrophy isn’t necessarily a new problem. Phil Gilbert, former head of design at IBM, points to historical parallels: “Very few people know how to ride a horse these days, but they seem to be able to get around just fine.” He believes the focus should be on outcomes, not the methods used to achieve them. As long as workers understand the fundamentals of their work, using AI tools is a natural evolution, much like using a spell-checker or dictionary. Still, others stress the need to balance new and old skills. Bob Chapman, chairman and former CEO of Barry-Wehmiller, says the ability to write effective AI prompts is now a critical skill. “How to use AI should be the skill we teach,” he said, adding that some traditional knowledge may become less relevant. “I don’t remember my chemistry class in high school.” Yet, as Adamson notes, there’s a risk in relying entirely on AI. “AI may eventually get there,” he said, “but it’s definitely not there yet.” Workers who haven’t learned the basics may struggle when AI fails or produces incorrect results. As AI reshapes the workplace, leaders are grappling with how to harness its power without sacrificing the human expertise that drives true innovation.