What is ‘friction-maxxing’ and should leaders embrace it?

Businesses have been investing in generative AI tools on the promise that they will make employees’ lives easier. Instead, plugging into these tools could be having a counterproductive effect.

According to a study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, published in February, the tools are actually making work more intense. Research from MIT Media Lab, published last year, also found that “excessive reliance on AI-driven solutions” could be leading to “cognitive atrophy” and diminishing critical thinking skills.

These institutions aren't alone. In February 2025, Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon University raised concerns that AI tools could be negatively affecting critical thinking at work.

Some workers are now rebelling against the AI machine by ‘friction-maxxing’, described as building up a tolerance for inconvenience. In essence, this means finding ways to do things at work that technology would usually do for you.

For example, swapping out software to record and transcribe meetings for pad and pen. Another example is reading documents instead of relying on AI to summarize the main points, or having in-person conversations with colleagues rather than sticking to Slack chats.

These examples might not sound revolutionary, but making elements of the working day less convenient in the short term can have benefits over the long-term. The process of ‘friction-maxxing’ can be used to rewire the brain and improve focus. It can also improve decision-making and collaboration as well as mend workplace communication that may have been damaged by AI.

“By incorporating analog workflows, teams can create focused attention, psychological safety and non-verbal cues that otherwise get completely stripped away,” explains Arne Sjöström, regional director of people science for EMEA at employee experience and performance management platform Culture Amp.

In-person meetings can also lead to more deliberate and strategic thinking, while technology may move workers to resort to reactive behaviors, such as replying to an email within minutes without giving it much thought.

Differentiate between positive and negative friction

While employees may feel that friction-maxxing can help them in their role, there will inevitably be some skeptical employers concerned that their workforce is simply avoiding AI tools and wasting time.

The reality is more nuanced. Friction can be both positive and negative – and leaders need to be able to tell the difference between the two.

Sjöström describes positive friction as “the necessary counterweight to AI … It restores focus, prioritizing intention in-person connection, reminding us why the work is worthwhile”. This kind of friction is intentional and shouldn’t be seen as ineffective, because it allows employees to reclaim time to meet, think strategically and collaborate. “Positive friction reconnects employees with their core purpose and standards AI automation alone cannot reach,” he adds.

On the other hand, negative friction involves obstacles that cause frustration, drain energy and hinder decision-making, such as outdated technology stacks, software bugs that haven't been patched, slow internet speeds, or even poorly-realized AI tools. This friction is unnecessary and is more often than not a result of poor leadership and a lack of investment in IT infrastructure.

“The goal for the modern leader should be to design for intentional friction in human-centric tasks while leveraging AI to strip away the daily grind,” argues Sjöström.

“The goal for the modern leader should be to design for intentional friction in human-centric tasks while leveraging AI to strip away the daily grind,” argues Sjöström.

Build a culture that supports different

Introducing the right kind of friction into the workplace can give employees a chance to pause, reflect and recalibrate. However, it’s important that leaders realize that friction-maxxing isn’t always going to be universally accepted.

“Everyone experiences the workplace in a different way – and ‘friction-maxxing’ might suit some employees, but not others,” says Kate Field, global head of human and social sustainability at BSI, the UK’s national standards body. There will be some who love nothing more than to sit down with colleagues and have in-person conversations about strategy. Others will always prefer to opt for the more convenient route of outsourcing tasks to AI.

Nevertheless, Field believes that “taking a step back and thinking about short-term versus long-term productivity is something we should all be doing”. Her advice to leaders is that they create a workplace culture in which different perspectives can thrive.

“Every employee, team and manager will have to work out whether going analog and adding friction into their working life will benefit them. But a strong culture transcends this,” concludes Field.

Companies that encourage and embrace positive friction are may find it easier to strengthen team relationships, think more strategically and make better decisions.