'Invisible work' of AI falls disproportionately to middle managers, women
It's a common refrain that AI is changing how we work, but new research conducted by the Notre Dame-IBM Tech Ethics Lab, housed in the Institute for Ethics and the Common Good, shows that AI is creating new forms of work and reconfiguring employees' lived experience of work itself.
A Notre Dame-IBM Tech Ethics Lab study reveals that artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping work, creating new "glue work" responsibilities that disproportionately fall on middle managers and women. Researchers from the Institute for Ethics and the Common Good conducted workshops with midlevel professionals and senior executives to examine their understanding of AI's impact on their organizations.
Both groups reported a shift toward prioritizing speed and productivity, while tolerating lower standards and accepting "good enough" work. However, they also noted the emergence of unseen tasks such as validating AI outputs, translating strategy into practice, and coordinating across teams - work often not reflected in job descriptions or performance metrics.
Middle managers reported taking on much of this "glue work," with some women reporting bearing an even greater burden. Meanwhile, executives are questioning the future relevance of middle management in AI-driven organizations, potentially overlooking the skills these managers provide. The study highlights a tension between executives' fears about losing crucial skills and the real, unrecognized labor performed by middle managers.
The researchers emphasize that leaders play a crucial role in shaping AI adoption, and should be more transparent about what they measure, involve more voices in decision-making, and safeguard opportunities for learning, quality, and human agency.
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