The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into workplace environments has transformed traditional interpersonal interactions. While previous research has explored AI’s impact on individual tasks and organizational processes, little attention has been paid to its unintended consequences on human-human interactions in the workplace. This study examines how employees seeking help from generative AI, which provides solutions without the social costs of indebtedness or perceived incompetence, influence their willingness to seek help from colleagues. Drawing upon reinforcement theory, we propose that positive experiences (lower indebtedness and higher perceived competence) of seeking help from AI leads to future anticipated positive experiences (lower anticipated indebtedness and higher anticipated competence perception) of seeking help from AI next time compared with human colleagues, which in turn decreases employees’ future willingness to approach colleagues for assistance. Three preregistered experiments supported our hypotheses. Thus, this study uncovers an emerging but overlooked determinant of workplace interaction, shedding light on how the growing reliance on AI might reshape interpersonal dynamics in modern organizations.
