Erosion in industry 5.0: 86 58

The hidden risks of generative AI

Abstract

Technical, social, avant-garde, global, and cognitive pressures are driving the adoption of new technologies characterized by constant updates and automation most notably generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and autonomous agents. While the stated intention is to augment and enhance human capabilities regarding complex challenges, skills, and critical thinking rather than replacing them recent empirical evidence suggests the actual trend is moving in the opposite direction, to the detriment of consumers. This study analyzes the flaws and risks stemming from the use and misuse of these cutting-edge technologies, aiming to propose intervention frameworks before they become irreversibly entrenched in a fragile structure within the technology adoption cycle. It explores phenomena such as the atrophy of technical skills, the productivity paradox, cognitive offloading, over-reliance on automated systems, and the irony of automation, drawing on evidence from randomized controlled trials and large-scale surveys conducted between 2025 and 2026. This analysis examines the critical failures and systemic risks of these cutting-edge technologies, aiming to propose regulatory and operational intervention frameworks before their negative effects become irreversibly embedded in the labor market and social fabric. Identifying these risk vectors early allows for the design of guidelines that restore human control, ensuring technology acts as a genuine complement rather than an agent of cognitive and professional erosion. Furthermore, there is high demand for courses, diploma programs, and workshops focused on critical thinking, reflecting a growing awareness of the need to pursue them.