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WSJ Column Names Three Areas Where AI May Do More Harm: Empathy, Authenticity, Transparency

June 21, 2026 at 11:00 EDT

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Wall Street Journal tech columnist Christopher Mims published a piece on June 21, 2026, arguing that as companies rush to adopt AI, there are areas where it should be avoided—because overapplying it where empathy, authenticity and transparency are essential can do more harm than good.

June 21, 2026 · 250 Years of the American Economy

When AI Does More Harm Than Good

What technology can do is not the same as what it should do. As companies race to adopt generative AI, the productivity gains arrive alongside job losses, widening inequality and eroding cognitive skill.

55%

of Americans say AI does more harm than good

70%

expect it to lead to job losses

6–7%

of U.S. workers could be displaced within a decade

Public Sentiment · Quinnipiac Poll

Most Americans are wary of AI

Does more harm than good

55%

Will cause job losses

70%

Workers displaced / decade

6–7%

Where AI may augment

Diagnosis support
Research
Expert-level tasks

Where AI may replace

Basic coding
Accounting
Routine writing

The hidden costs beyond efficiency

Knowledge capture

Firms absorb employees' expertise into AI, making individuals replaceable.

Work intensification

Tasks grow faster and more complex, but the burden does not ease.

Eroding cognition

Overreliance on generative AI can weaken critical thinking.

Adoption decisions must now be weighed not only on cost and efficiency, but on the long-term impact on workers and society.

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