Frictionless AI can make research quieter, and less collaborative
AI tools that remove the awkward work of dealing with other people may also remove the interactions that help research happen. The article calls this the “Waymo effect,” using driverless rides as the example: convenience makes solitude feel like a pure gain, while concealing what conversation and shared practice contributed. For research leaders, the risk is choosing efficient individual work by default, even when difficult ideas need people in the same room.