Protecting Human Capital with Learning Vaults
AI Use in Workplaces May Erode Human Expertise
New research from the University of Bath suggests uncritical AI adoption risks the decay of critical thinking skills.

An editorial-style photo of a person at a computer, with an overlay effect suggesting the merging and fading of digital and human elements.
Photo: Avantgarde News
A new study from the University of Bath School of Management warns that the uncritical adoption of artificial intelligence in the workplace could lead to the decay of human knowledge [1]. The research, published in the Human Resource Management Journal, identifies specific types of expertise that are incompatible with AI systems [1]. Researchers argue that over-reliance on large language models might compromise the development of critical thinking skills in future workers [2]. To address these risks, the study proposes the creation of 'learning vaults' to safeguard human expertise [1]. These vaults are intended to protect specialized skills from being lost to automation [1]. Authors suggest that organizations must consciously preserve human-mediated learning to maintain long-term intellectual capital [2].
Editorial notes
Transparency note
Drafted with LLM; human-edited
- AI assisted
- Yes
- Human review
- Yes
- Last updated
Risk assessment
Sourcing verification: The report relies on only two primary source domains, which falls below the recommended minimum of three independent domains for high-confidence reporting.
Sources
Related stories
View allTopics
About the author
Avantgarde News Desk covers protecting human capital with learning vaults and editorial analysis for Avantgarde News.


