A groundbreaking field study from Harvard Business School and Procter & Gamble reveals that generative AI is no longer just a tool—it’s a teammate.
In what may be one of the most comprehensive real-world studies of AI in the workplace to date, researchers examined how generative AI influences collaboration, innovation, and emotional engagement. The results are transformative: AI not only improves individual and team performance, but also enhances cross-functional collaboration and even boosts morale.
The study, titled The Cybernetic Teammate: A Field Experiment on Generative AI Reshaping Teamwork and Expertise (Working Paper No. 25-043), involved 776 professionals at Procter & Gamble working on real product innovation challenges. Participants were randomly assigned to work either individually or in teams, with or without the aid of generative AI based on GPT-4.
AI Enhances Individual Performance to Rival Teams
One of the most striking findings: individuals using AI produced work of similar quality to two-person teams working without it. On average, AI-assisted individuals saw a 0.37 standard deviation increase in solution quality, while teams with AI saw a 0.39 increase. In addition to quality improvements, both individuals and teams using AI completed tasks significantly faster—individuals worked 16.4% quicker, and teams saved 12.7% of their time.
AI-augmented teams were also more likely to produce solutions that ranked in the top 10%, suggesting that the synergy between human collaboration and AI can drive exceptional outcomes.
Breaking Silos: AI Spurs Cross-Functional Collaboration
Beyond performance gains, the study shows how AI can act as a “boundary-spanning mechanism,” enabling professionals to incorporate insights from outside their primary area of expertise. Without AI, commercial and R&D professionals often stuck to solutions rooted in their own disciplines. But AI-equipped participants consistently produced more integrated, balanced solutions.
The researchers also found that AI helps level the playing field for less experienced employees. Individuals without deep expertise were able to perform at levels comparable to experienced teams when aided by AI, indicating the technology’s potential to “democratize expertise” within organizations.
AI Improves Emotional Engagement
In a surprising twist, AI also made participants feel better. Users reported significantly more positive emotions—such as enthusiasm and excitement—and lower levels of anxiety and frustration. In fact, individuals using AI reported more positive feelings than teams working without it, hinting that AI may fill part of the social and motivational roles traditionally fulfilled by human colleagues.
Rethinking the Structure of Work
The researchers—Fabrizio Dell’Acqua, Charles Ayoubi, Hila Lifshitz-Assaf, Raffaella Sadun, Ethan Mollick, Lilach Mollick, Yi Han, Jeff Goldman, Hari Nair, Stew Taub, and Karim R. Lakhani—describe AI as a “cybernetic teammate” capable of reshaping how teams function.
“Generative AI is not just enhancing individual cognitive capabilities—it’s transforming team dynamics and the very fabric of collaboration,” they write.
Their findings suggest that organizations may need to reconsider optimal team sizes and compositions, invest in employee training on AI interaction, and explore more flexible structures that harness the combined power of human creativity and machine intelligence.
The Future of Collaboration is Human + AI
As AI technologies continue to evolve, this study points to a future where AI is more than a productivity tool—it is an active partner in problem-solving, learning, and emotional support. The research compels business leaders to rethink how work is done and to embrace AI not as a threat, but as an invaluable teammate.
Reference:
Dell’Acqua, F., Ayoubi, C., Lifshitz-Assaf, H., Sadun, R., Mollick, E., Mollick, L., Han, Y., Goldman, J., Nair, H., Taub, S., & Lakhani, K. R. (2025). The Cybernetic Teammate: A Field Experiment on Generative AI Reshaping Teamwork and Expertise (Working Paper No. 25-043). Harvard Business School. Available on SSRN.