5 Reasons AI Is Driving Status Drift Among High Performers At Work
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AI changes how visibility and value are measured at work. Here's how high performers can stay influential and avoid quiet status drift as automation reshapes recognition.
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financial news
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July 21, 2025
11:27 AM
Forbes
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What stands out here is LeadershipCHRO Network5 Reasons AI Is Driving Drift Among High Performers At WorkByDr
Moreover, Diane Hamilton, Contributor (quite telling)
Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights
Curiosity expert imving engagement, innovation, and ductivity
However, AuthorJul 21, 2025, 11:27am EDT5 Reasons AI Is Driving Drift Among High Performers at Workgetty One minute you’re the person everyone turns to for answers, the next an AI tool has already dered the data before you can even open your mouth
However, Invitations to key strategy sessions slip off your calendar and newer faces take the lead in discussions you once ran
This subtle shift is called drift, in today's market environment
Additionally, It happens when your results stay strong but your visibility and influence quietly slide (remarkable data)
A Cornell study of over four million AI interactions shows that more than a third of jobs now use AI for at least a quarter of daily tasks
When routine work moves to nology, the small moments that made you stand out can go unrecognized (remarkable data)
Here are the five reasons for drift and how you can claim back your spotlight
Moreover, Reason 1 For Drift: AI Answers Beat You To The Punchgetty Reason 1 For Drift: AI Answers Beat You To The Punch Remember how good it felt to nail a tough question on the spot and watch heads nod in appreciation
That instant recognition is part of what made you the go-to expert
Moreover, Now AI often ders that same answer before you even know the question was asked
You’re still the smartest person in the room, but now AI gets all of the credit due to its speed
Furthermore, You can turn this around by adding your unique insights immediately after the tool vides information
Before your next meeting, take time to review the AI’s response and pick out one insight it left out
No matter how smart AI is, it still can’t list everything
Nevertheless, That’s when you speak up with "Here’s why that matters for our biggest client" or "That data point shows mise, but we need to watch this trend
However, " By aligning the AI’s speed with your strategic view, you remind everyone that expertise goes beyond the instant answers AI ders to demonstrate critical thinking
Reason 2 For Drift: AI Automates Your Signature Movesgetty Reason 2 For Drift: AI Automates Your Signature Moves Drafting a persuasive posal or crafting a detailed report used to showcase the hours you poured into re and storytelling (noteworthy indeed)
You took your time reing facts to connect them to real-world outcomes
Today AI can generate a similar draft with a polished structure in seconds
On the other hand, Furthermore, The report might look impressive, but just because something looks slick doesn’t mean it isn’t missing something
The blem is, even if it took a lot of time for you to input the per mpts so that the AI came up with something genius, your team sees the duct and assumes the machine dered most of the insight, amid market uncertainty
Reclaim your appreciation by revealing your cess before AI refines it
A quick outline or bullet list of your key arguments in a brief or chat message
On the other hand, Explain why you chose those sources and how you plan to weave them together
Moreover, Once you’ve set the stage, let AI fill in the gaps
The final duct still carries your voice because you invited everyone to see how you think
You’ll find yourself thinking more creatively just to keep up, which isn’t a bad thing, in today's financial world
Reason 3 For Drift: AI Makes New Hires Shine Too Soongetty MORE FOR YOU Reason 3 For Drift: AI Makes New Hires Shine Too Soon It’s frustrating to watch someone who joined last month use AI to duce a crisp slide deck and earn praise you spent years learning how to earn (noteworthy indeed)
AI-generated reports can mask the depth of experience behind it and give newcomers an unearned advantage
A new hire with barely any context can turn in something AI-built and suddenly look they've been doing this for as long as you have
The best response is to showcase you are ready for collaboration with, not only the AI, but the newcomer
When a new colleague s an AI draft, take two minutes to add a quick story or example only you could supply
Nevertheless, Furthermore, Don’t attempt to one-up them but say something "That’s such an important insight
When we tried that strategy in 2022, we saw this result, so here’s how I’d tweak it
Meanwhile, " When you speak up that, it reminds people of the importance of your judgment
Reason 4 For Drift: AI Changes What Leaders Noticegetty Reason 4 For Drift: AI Changes What Leaders Notice Leaders are getting swept up in the polished look of AI dashboards, even when the substance underneath is still shallow
Meanwhile, They might fixate on flashy visuals and instant metrics while overlooking the deeper meaning behind the numbers
If your reputation was built on thoughtful analysis, you might notice fewer requests for your input as they trade depth for speed
Just because something looks slick doesn’t mean it tells the
Furthermore, However, Since you are the expert, you can point out those gaps while still supporting their enthusiasm for the new tool by injecting a strategic question alongside any output
On the other hand, After leadership reviews the automated report, up with an titled "Three Things to Add to the Dashboard
However, " Always begin with what was great the output
Additionally, Then, offer one paragraph on each item, drawing on your industry experience to explain hidden risks or emerging opportunities
That quick add-on positions you as the person who turns data into direction
Reason 5 For Drift: AI Limits Who Gets Invited Ingetty Reason 5 For Drift: AI Limits Who Gets Invited In Agendas can be drafted by AI, brainstorming mpts prepared by software, and summary notes generated automatically
That can mean people feel they have everything they need without you
If you miss one invite, they might assume you don’t need to be there anymore, amid market uncertainty
Suddenly you’re turned into an apver rather than a driver of strategy (quite telling) (this bears monitoring)
Conversely, That erosion of participation chips away at your confidence and your role
Prevent this by keeping an eye on your calendar and reaching out when you spot a gap
Each week glance at upcoming meetings
At the same time, If you see an AI-created agenda item that touches your domain, send a friendly note to the organizer: "I saw the agenda came from our AI
I’d to join the kickoff to insights on potential blind spots. " Framing your request as a way to support the team keeps you relevant and in the conversation without sounding territorial
How To Fight Back Against Driftgetty How To Fight Back Against Drift drift can be frustrating because you’re still hitting targets and exceeding expectations, yet you feel the pull of being invisible
Nevertheless, However, Curiosity is your most powerful tool
Additionally, There might be far more to do than you even realize (remarkable data)
Ask your manager how roles and responsibilities are shifting as AI takes on more tasks, in today's market environment
Moreover, In contrast, Talk with colleagues which parts of your work they miss when they rely on the tool, in light of current trends
Those conversations shine a light on what’s changing and why your input still matters, in today's market environment
Schedule a quarterly check-in with your manager focused on your role responsibilities
Spend some time reviewing which tasks AI handles now and which tasks still need your human touch (noteworthy indeed)
Agree on where your insights will have the most impact
Nevertheless, You can also lead a short team workshop to map out each step of your workflow and spot gaps AI created (this bears monitoring), in light of current trends
That d exercise brings clarity and gives you the chance to claim back areas where you add the greatest value
Staying Visible And Avoiding Drift As AI Evolvesgetty Staying Visible And Avoiding Drift As AI Evolves To push back against drift, keep finding the places where your voice adds depth AI cannot reach
On the other hand, When a tool spits out a report or suggestion, look for the one thing it left out
On the other hand, Add that missing piece with a short, a quick example, or a thoughtful question, in this volatile climate
Furthermore, That extra layer is what people remember and value
As AI continues to speed things up, staying relevant means being the person who goes beyond what the tool vides
However, That's how you stay in the room, keep your influence, and stop drift from gaining ground (which is quite significant)
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