BCG’s Sagar Goel explains how everyday AI use is already eroding the judgment organizations rely on—and what leaders can do about it. Sagar, leader of the Human Futures lab at the BCG Institute, shares what 70 C-suite leaders have told BCG about how “distributed de-skilling” shows up in daily work. Among the most vexing problems: AI outputs that go unchallenged, accountability that slips, and junior talent who build skills more slowly.

You’ll Learn:

Why AI substitutes for thinking, not just supports it—and why that matters at scale.

How to capture AI’s productivity gains while protecting human judgment.

How AI-free zones and simple team habits keep critical thinking sharp.

Learn More:

When Everyone Uses AI, Companies Risk Losing Critical Skills: https://on.bcg.com/4zqcmpR

The BCG Institute: https://on.bcg.com/3WnFC1F

BCG’s Latest Thinking on People Strategy: https://on.bcg.com/4iT0SVJ

BCG’s Latest Thinking on AI: https://on.bcg.com/4yP5qRL

Chapters

00:00 Is AI Eroding How We Think?

01:24 What Does De-Skilling Look Like?

03:35 Does AI Hinder Career Development?

05:53 Should Companies Limit AI Use?

06:47 Productivity Without Risking De-skilling

07:58 How to Rethink Employee Training

10:30 Who Owns AI’s Mistakes?

11:12 How to Spot AI Gains and Losses

13:01 Is Skill Loss Hard to Spot?

14:37 How Can Leaders Counter De-skilling?

Meet the Expert

Name: Sagar Goel

Title: Managing Director & Partner; Global Insights Leader, BCG Institute (leads the Human Futures Lab)

Bio: https://on.bcg.com/4z11ttB

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sagar-goel-bb7b192/?isSelfProfile=false

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