The promise of artificial intelligence — that it will handle the tedious tasks of modern life and free humans for higher pursuits — may be a trap for physical health, according to a commentary published Thursday in The Guardian by NPR host Manoush Zomorodi and Columbia University researcher Keith Diaz.
“There is a seductive fantasy being floated by AI executives that all the efficiency their products will bring us will lead to humans finally returning to their essential, best selves,” Zomorodi and Diaz wrote. “Unfortunately, if the history of innovation teaches us anything, it’s that labor-saving technology has rarely, if ever, triggered healthier habits.”
The authors pointed to past innovations — drive-throughs, microwaves, escalators, email, streaming services — that replaced small physical tasks without leading people to spend more time walking or exercising. “A task that took almost no effort used to be described with the saying: ‘You hardly need to lift a finger.’ Now, we literally lift a finger and — tap — the chore is done,” they wrote.
The commentary argued that the current era of AI has intensified sedentary behavior. Information workers manage multiple AI agents while producing more, the authors said, and after work, AI-powered games, social media and chatbots keep people seated and glued to screens. They cited data showing Americans spend an average of 187 full days per year sitting and 12.5 hours per day interacting with media.
“A world with fewer tedious tasks, errands and chores sounds like liberation, but it’s actually a trap,” Zomorodi and Diaz wrote. “The human body does not thrive on all this convenience.”
The health consequences the authors described include worse blood sugar control, poorer cardiovascular health, back pain, weaker muscles, poor balance, sleep disruption and accelerated aging. They cited projections from the American Heart Association that by 2050 more than 60% of U.S. adults will have obesity, more than a quarter will have diabetes, and more than 60% will have high blood pressure. They also noted that in 2023, the CDC found more than three-quarters of U.S. adults already had at least one chronic condition.
The authors pointed to research showing that even small amounts of movement can make a difference. Their 2023 global study of 20,000 people found that short, regular walking breaks of five minutes reduced fatigue by up to 30%, boosted mood and increased energy levels. A 2025 study they cited found that adding just five minutes of brisk movement per day for the least active people could prevent about 10% of all deaths worldwide.
Zomorodi and Diaz acknowledged that movement alone cannot replace a well-funded healthcare system. But they argued that failing to build physical activity into an AI-driven future would mean mistaking convenience for progress.
“If we do not deliberately build movement, friction and physical life into our AI future, we will mistake convenience for progress and, once again, trade it for our health,” they wrote. “Don’t overthink it. Start with a gentle stroll.”
Zomorodi is host of NPR’s TED Radio Hour and author of “Body Electric: The Hidden Health Costs of the Digital Age and New Science to Reclaim Your Well-Being.” Diaz, of Columbia University Irving Medical Center, co-created the global study the book is based on and wrote the book’s foreword.