New Research Reveals AI Is Creating A Hidden Burden Of Invisible Work For Employees

Artificial intelligence is doing far more than simply automating routine tasks; it is fundamentally restructuring the labor landscape and the daily reality of employees. According to new research from the Notre Dame-IBM Tech Ethics Lab, the integration of AI is birthing a hidden category of responsibilities that often goes unrecognized in traditional performance metrics.

The Rise of Invisible “Glue Work”

During a series of workshops conducted in July 2026, researchers collaborated with All Tech is Human to bridge the gap between organizational strategy and day-to-day operations. By interviewing both executive leadership and mid-level managers, the team discovered a persistent misalignment regarding how AI is reshaping the workplace.

As organizations prioritize speed and productivity, a new phenomenon has emerged: “glue work.” This includes the time-intensive, often invisible tasks required to keep AI systems functional, such as auditing AI-generated outputs, bridging communication gaps across departments, and training staff on new tools. Crucially, these tasks rarely appear in official job descriptions or performance reviews. Participants noted that this burden frequently falls on middle managers, with anecdotal evidence suggesting these responsibilities are disproportionately shouldered by women.

A Growing Disconnect Between Leadership and Staff

The research highlights a stark contradiction in corporate perception. While executive leaders are currently debating whether AI could eventually render middle management obsolete, they are simultaneously expressing anxiety over “distributed deskilling”—the erosion of traditional mentorship and the loss of organic knowledge transfer within teams.

The workshops suggest that the very expertise executives fear losing is the same expertise middle managers are currently deploying to manage the complexities of AI adoption. By failing to acknowledge or incentivize this “glue work,” organizations risk burning out the very employees who are essential to a successful transition.

Reframing the Future of AI Integration

Sara Berger, director of the Notre Dame-IBM Tech Ethics Lab, emphasizes that the path of AI adoption is not predetermined by the technology itself. “Nothing is decided for us,” Berger notes. “Leaders do shape these futures, whether they acknowledge it or not. The real questions are whose voices get incorporated into these visions, and what we are actually optimizing for when decisions get made about what work matters.”

The white paper offers a roadmap for leaders aiming to navigate these transitions more humanely, focusing on two primary pillars:

• Increased Transparency: Leaders must be explicit about what they measure and ensure that vital but non-automated work is recognized.
• Inclusive Decision-Making: Organizations should actively include a wider range of voices when determining which processes should be automated and which should remain human-led.

Participants in the study remained optimistic that, with proper deliberation, AI could lead to better outcomes. Rather than simply chasing efficiency, they suggest that companies should aim to protect opportunities for learning, maintain high quality standards, and ensure that time saved through automation is reinvested into higher-level, creative work.