The concept of flow, coined by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, describes the state in which we are completely immersed in a task, where challenge and ability are in perfect balance. In flow, we experience energy, focus and satisfaction. But what happens to this state in a world where AI is quickly becoming a natural workmate? When machines can take over large parts of our work, both the path to flow and our experience of being there changes.
When AI lifts us over our thresholds
The flow diagram shows that we end up in flow when the difficulty of a task matches our own competence. If the challenge is too low, we get bored. If it is too high, we get stressed and blocked. AI can be an ingenious support function in this context. When we face a task that is too difficult, AI can act as a temporary crutch. It supports us so that we can keep up with the challenge. It could be writing a report faster with the help of AI-generated structure, or solving a complex analysis that would otherwise have been overwhelming.
At first, this can feel euphoric. We feel like we have suddenly become much better at our job. We can take on things we have never been able to do before. AI lifts us over the threshold and opens the door to a new flow.
When help becomes an obstacle
But there is a downside. When we start to rely on AI, we risk losing our own skills. A task that was previously a given can suddenly feel difficult or even overwhelming if we no longer have AI available. Writing a simple email can become a barrier if we have become accustomed to AI always formulating it better for us. It is as if we have forgotten how to ride a bike, because we are always driving a car.
This dynamic can be demotivating. When we notice that we can no longer do what we once mastered ourselves, our self-esteem can be eroded. It becomes clear when the joy of using AI to enhance our work turns into a feeling that we have to use AI to even get the basics right.
The shift of our playing field
Once we master AI, our view of what tasks are worth doing also changes. Previously, a simpler task could create flow if it was right on the borderline between competence and challenge. But with the help of AI, the simpler moments suddenly become banal. Spending hours proofreading a text feels like using a forklift to move an empty box.
What creates flow shifts. Tasks that were previously difficult now become basic, and we have to seek out completely new challenges. Flow is not displaced away, but it is shifted upwards. We have to aim higher to achieve the same intense sense of engagement.
When the absence of AI creates stress
Another aspect is what happens when we don’t have access to AI. Imagine that you have used AI to structure all your emails for months, and then suddenly have to respond to a flood of messages yourself. The task that is fundamentally simple can now feel insurmountable. We have become accustomed to someone else doing parts of our cognitive work. When that support is removed, our own limitations are exposed and we experience stress rather than flow.
Balancing between assistance and own ability
To continue to experience flow in an AI world, we need to be aware of this balance. AI can be a fantastic catalyst, but if we always lean on it, we risk losing the creative and intellectual craftsmanship that is the basis of our sense of competence. This is not about giving up AI, but using it in a way that allows us to still train our own ability.
It can be about letting AI provide inspiration but taking responsibility for the final formulation yourself. Or using AI as a sparring partner rather than an executor. In this way, we remain active participants in the process and strengthen our skills, instead of letting them slowly fade away.
Examples from work life
A teacher who uses AI to create lesson plans may initially experience a sense of relief and a sense of being one step ahead. But if the teacher completely stops planning themselves, they risk losing their pedagogical touch. Flow in teaching arises not only from the material but also from their own thinking about the needs of the students.
A designer who uses AI tools to quickly generate suggestions can be more productive than ever. But if the design process is completely outsourced to AI, the creative excitement that makes the profession meaningful disappears. Letting AI generate ideas but choosing, combining and refining them yourself can, on the other hand, create new levels of flow.
Flow as a moving finish line
In an AI world, flow is not something static. It moves, changes and shifts as technology develops and we ourselves learn to use it. Sometimes AI will be our springboard into flow. Sometimes AI will be the obstacle that makes us lose the sense of mastery over something on our own.
The challenge will be to use AI as an enhancer rather than a replacement. When we achieve that balance, we can not only continue to experience flow, but also reach it at levels we previously didn’t think were possible.
