AI agents are not your “coworkers”

Short summary

MIT Technology Review examines why companies calling AI tools "coworkers" creates problematic misconceptions about their capabilities and roles. The article argues that organizations need clearer mental models for AI agents—treating them strictly as tools with specific limitations, not as peer employees with autonomous agency. Proper framing of AI's organizational role is essential for realistic deployment and avoiding disappointment with outcomes.

• •Anthropomorphizing AI tools by calling them coworkers creates false expectations about autonomy and capability
• •AI agents are fundamentally tools with distinct limitations, not peer employees with agency
• •Clear organizational framing of AI's role is essential for realistic expectations and deployment success

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