AI-Driven Communication Risks Undermine Emotional Intelligence in German Workplaces

Young employees in Germany are increasingly relying on AI tools such as ChatGPT for everyday decisions, from health queries to selecting restaurants and drafting work emails. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman noted, “They don’t make important life decisions without asking ChatGPT first.”

Leena Rinne, vice‑president for Leadership, Business, and Coaching at Skillsoft, described a case where a junior employee received a cryptic message from a manager, suspected it was generated by AI, and used a chatbot to interpret it. The AI suggested an automated reply, only for the employee to realize she was communicating with her manager’s AI. Rinne warns that this “social offloading” transfers judgment, courage, and empathy to machines, impairing the development of emotional intelligence and hindering future leaders. She added, “If I constantly ask the AI how to answer my boss, I don’t learn how to deal with my boss.”

Rinne also points to the erosion of middle management and reduced mentorship as contributing factors, arguing that companies underestimate the value of supporting young workers’ professional growth.