The Role of AI in Enhancing Competencies and Building Autonomy in the Professional Sphere

Abstract

Generative AI systems are increasingly embedded in human decision-making. They can enhance work efficiency and serve as a tools for personal and professional development. At the other hand, they raise questions about the limits of autonomy and the influence of social control mechanisms on human subjectivity. The author examines whether ChatGPT, used as an LLM-based conversational tool, can support professional self-development, self-knowledge, and self-reflection, and under what conditions ChatGPT-generated responses may support or limit autonomy and self-awareness in the professional sphere. The study employed a methodology combining complementary approaches: 1) Examining the role of ChatGPT in the process of self-knowledge, self-awareness, and autonomy development in the workplace; 2) Conducting an exploratory conversational experiment with ChatGPT-4, analysing the content of the responses generated. In the experiment, ChatGPT was employed as a coach-like tool supporting employee self-reflection. Within this methodology, ChatGPT functioned as a cognitive mirror.