More than 40% of workers in the U.S. are using AI at their job, according to a recent study, but many might not be able to distinguish between helpful and potentially harmful adoptions of the technology.

If you're turning to AI at work to "outsource critical thinking," you risk falling behind and starting to sound like everyone else, said Sandra Matz, a professor at Columbia Business School.

Meanwhile, Eva Selenko, a work psychology professor at Loughborough University in England, is most worried about people using AI for tasks that are "core to one's self-understanding."

Using artificial intelligence can make people "boring," according to Sandra Matz, a professor at Columbia Business School. Her research on the topic indicates two direct consequences for workers: stagnation and mediocrity.

"When employees use it to outsource critical thinking or creative reasoning, there's a real risk of gradually falling behind and becoming complacent," said Matz.

One reason for that is many AI tools generate the most obvious and safe responses, she said: "In short, we become just like everyone else."

Already 43% of workers in the U.S. report using AI for their job, according to a study published in March by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

But many professionals may struggle to distinguish between helpful and harmful ways of using the technology, said Fred Oswald, an industrial-organizational psychologist and a former member of the National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee.

"There is a Wild West of AI use that's worth understanding and exploring, so that employees and organizations can manage risks and further benefit," Oswald said.

Using AI can be "fantastic" for upping your productivity by automating and accelerating mundane work tasks, Matz said. You can also use the technology as "a sparring partner for brainstorming," she said.

But you don't want AI to replace your own thinking, problem-solving and creativity, she added.

"The moment all employees start consulting AI when developing their ideas, independent thinking begins to give way to algorithmic consensus," Matz said.

Americus Reed II, a professor of marketing at the Wharton School of Business, said his colleagues describe outsourcing your critical thinking to AI as "cognitive surrender."