🤖 The Cybernetic Teammate: AI Reshaping Teamwork and Expertise

This working paper from 2025 details a field experiment at Procter & Gamble investigating how generative AI impacts teamwork and expertise in new product development. The study compared the performance, expertise sharing, and social engagement of professionals working individually or in teams, with or without AI assistance. The findings indicate that AI significantly enhances individual performance to levels comparable to human teams, breaks down traditional functional silos by enabling more balanced solution proposals, and fosters positive emotional responses among users. Ultimately, the research suggests that AI functions as a "cybernetic teammate," prompting organizations to reconsider collaborative work structures.