The more I think about today’s workplace tension, the less I think AI is the problem. I think it simply exposed a deeper issue. 

AI’s promise is simple: minimize labor costs to boost margins. It’s pure math.

Companies want profit; employees want security. Neither is malicious — it’s just a business and human reality.

The tension stems from the theater.

People see the disparity: websites and HR manuals insist that “people are our most valuable asset” while mandating a return to the office to “strengthen culture.” Meanwhile, those same firms pour billions into the technology that will ultimately shrink that workforce.

Why the charade?

An honest, consistent message might not be warm, but it is respectful. And isn’t the truth a better foundation for culture than the exhaustion of condescending, contradictory signals?