Have you ever thought AI’s dulling your edge? The more capable the tools become, the more tempting it is to hand over the thinking. AI can become a “done for you” solution. And if we’re not careful, it can start to erode our critical thinking and disempower us. This is what I am calling the AI agency paradox.
At the start of the year, I talked about AI and the high-performance paradox: yes, AI can help us draft, analyse and iterate faster, but that doesn’t automatically reduce the human effort required. If anything, it can raise expectations while the need for judgement and sense-checking stays the same.
In this SNAP, I want to come back to AI through a different lens, one that’s becoming a major theme in my State of Workplace Wellbeing 2026 report (out very soon): agency.
What is agency?
Agency is the inner belief that: I’m happening to life, life isn’t happening to me.
It’s closely related to autonomy, but it’s not quite the same. Autonomy is often about the external freedom you have (your choices, your control, your flexibility). Agency is more internal: your sense of ownership, influence, and responsibility for how you respond to whatever’s in front of you.
And I genuinely think agency is going to matter more than ever, for young people and older generations alike, as we navigate a world that keeps changing.
The agency paradox: AI can help… and it can quietly disempower
The paradox is simple: the better AI gets, the easier it is to give up agency. It can start to feel like a “done-for-me” solution, and unless we’re intentional, we outsource our judgement and stop exercising the very muscle that keeps us in control.
- We outsource the first draft
- We accept the suggestion too quickly
- We stop challenging assumptions
- We stop critical thinking
- We fact-check less
- We quietly hand over judgement and ownership
I’ll be honest: I noticed this myself when I began using AI for ideas and writing. A little part of me went, “I’ll let AI do it.”
That moment is important, not because AI is “bad”, but because it reveals what’s at stake. When we repeatedly hand over the thinking, we don’t just save time… we risk losing something else.
Why agency is your edge (especially at work)
Agency is part of what makes you you.
It’s what gives you authority in your role. It’s the difference between responding versus reacting, or using AI as a tool versus being led by it.
In organisations, agency is the foundation of accountability and leadership at every level. When people feel high agency, they’re more likely to make good decisions under pressure, take ownership, and act with intent.
And that’s exactly why AI can be both brilliant and risky: it can help you move faster and tempt you to switch off.
The practical reframe: we are the orchestrators
This is the line I keep coming back to: We’re in control of the AI.
We guide its outputs. We decide the inputs. We judge what’s useful. We edit. We sense-check. We make the final call. AI can support our thinking, but it shouldn’t replace it.
A helpful way to frame it is: AI can draft, but you decide.
AI can generate, but you judge.
AI can suggest, but you choose.
It’s actually a good analogy for agency more broadly, a reminder that we often have more power and control than we think to shape our day, our energy, and our choices, especially at work.
How to protect your agency when using AI
A few simple habits can keep you in the driver’s seat:
1) Ask yourself: “What do I think first?”
Before you prompt AI, take 30 seconds to form a view. Even a rough one. This keeps your judgement online.
2) Use AI to widen options, not make decisions
Invite ideas, structures, angles, or challenges, then choose deliberately.
3) Keep the “why” with you
Ask: “Why is this the right answer for this audience, this moment, this context?”
That’s human work. That’s agency.
4) Treat AI like a sparring partner
Ask it to critique your thinking, not replace it:
- “What am I missing?”
- “What would a sceptic say?”
- “What are the risks or trade-offs?”
5) Remember: convenience can come with a cost
If you always choose the easiest route, you may lose sharpness over time. The goal is to use AI to amplify your capability, not erode it.
The bigger picture: agency will be a defining capability
My view is simple: as tools become more powerful, agency becomes more important.
Not just for personal wellbeing, but for performance, employability, leadership, and resilience.
Because the people who thrive won’t be those who outsource their thinking. They’ll be the ones who can partner with AI while staying anchored in judgement, clarity, and ownership.
A question to sit with
When you use AI, do you feel more capable, or do you feel a subtle pull to switch off?
And where could you make one small change this week to keep your agency strong?
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