Can AI create a more equitable future for neurodiverse workers?

Navigating the workplace can be a daunting task for many neurodivergent individuals, who often need support to complete certain tasks others might find easy. Yet, asking for help can feel intimidating—a struggle you might see amplified across social media. 

“I want to fit in and fly under the radar at work. Instead, I’m out here being annoying on accident, drawing attention to myself, alienating myself,” wrote one user in the neurodiversity subreddit.

“Applying for jobs is a hell specifically designed to torment autistic people,” wrote another on X.  

A recent study found that approximately seventy-five percent of neurodivergent people hide their condition from potential employers, fearing it may impact their ability to get hired or how they’ll be perceived on the job. This fear is justified; unemployment rates among the neurodiverse are significantly higher than those of the general population. But help might be coming from an unexpected place: artificial intelligence. With proper implementation, AI has the potential to level the playing field for neurodivergent individuals, creating a more equitable, inclusive, and productive workplace.

Understanding neurodivergent needs 

Neurodivergent is a catch-all term referring to diversity in human cognition. It encompasses conditions like autism, ADHD, dyslexia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and dyspraxia, among others. Because neurodivergent people don’t think the way most others do, it can lead to significant challenges in the workplace.

According to Olivia Johnson, a registered therapist who works with neurodivergent clients and identifies as neurodivergent herself, when coworkers misunderstand or are unaware of these conditions, it leads to tension on the job.

“First and foremost, time restrictions and scheduling are very difficult for people with autism and ADHD,” says Johnson. “Delegating tasks can also be hard.”

This can make it difficult to organize assignments and complete work under a deadline. In addition to challenges with time, neurodivergent people can also struggle with language and tone.

“Social and communication problems can also be very difficult to navigate because often people who are neurodivergent communicate things in a way that may be interpreted as very direct, blunt, or insubordinate,” says Johnson. 

A lack of understanding around neurodivergence can cause employers to misinterpret their actions, preventing people from getting accommodations, such as quiet work settings, concise instructions, uninterrupted work time, and flexible schedules that would ultimately lead to a better environment for everyone involved.

“In some instances, folks I’ve worked with have found seeking support can be very detrimental,” says Johnson. “It’s a slippery slope to not necessarily feeling abundantly safe or feeling like you can talk to people. That can be very, very isolating.” 

Bridging communication gaps

Addressing these issues has become a growing topic of study across higher ed. Andrew Begel, an Associate Professor of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University, runs the VariAbility Lab. The lab's mission is to create inclusive workplaces where all people—especially those with disabilities and the neurodivergent—can be successful.

“Many of the issues that neurodivergent people have in the workplace boil down to stigma and discrimination against them by neurotypical people,” says Begel.

For Begel, alleviating these problems requires acknowledging and eliminating biases and finding ways to intervene in real-world situations using technology. For the latter, he’s turned to AI.

“To build technology that can understand human-to-human communication well enough to influence it requires AI. AI can be used to understand language, observe and interpret facial expressions and body language, and—most importantly—detect when misunderstandings and misalignment occur in our daily conversations.”

The VariAbility Lab’s FIT project aims to custom-build AI trained specifically on autistic and non-autistic interactions, helping to improve mixed-neurotype relationships.

This year, they’re creating a prototype video calling platform to study autistic/non-autistic conversations, built on top of WebRTC. The hope is to identify recurring problem areas in the conversations and eventually offer solutions for more effective communication.

Similarly, Begel points to how large language models like GPT and LLaMA could be used to help neurodivergent individuals in a number of different contexts.

“Neurodivergent people could use [large language models] to practice conversations and gauge the kinds of reactions they might get from their neurotypical conversation partners. LLMs can also be very helpful to understand the neurotypical conversational style,” he says. 

But the use of AI in the workplace isn’t limited to classrooms and hypotheticals. Many neurodivergent people are already using AI tools to help write emails, schedule tasks, summarize articles, and even plan their days.

Using AI as a tool

Some AI tools are designed specifically to level the playing field for neurodiverse employees. One standout is Goblin Tools. With a cult following on Reddit, praise from outlets like Insider, and hundreds of positive reviews, this website offers small, simple, single-task tools. Creator Bram De Buyser developed Goblin Tools to help neurodivergent people with tasks they find overwhelming.

“I created Goblin Tools primarily because I wanted to help neurodivergent people. I have some aspects of it myself, along with some friends and family that have various combinations of neurodivergent traits,” says De Buyser. 

Goblin Tools addresses key issues neurodivergent people face. “Magic ToDo” breaks tasks into step-by-step lists. “The Judge” assesses the tone of emails or messages. “Formalizer” creates messages with varying levels of directness, and “The Estimator” approximates task durations. Most tools use AI technologies, including OpenAI's models.

The website offers assistance without requiring users to disclose their condition to colleagues. 

“In a sense, AI allows a form of personalized yet impersonal assistance, where a person can get the tailored help they need, but without needing a human to do the tailoring or provide the help. I get this feedback often on Goblin Tools—that a major draw for them is that the work is done by a machine that doesn't judge the user for asking. It will never get frustrated or tired,” says De Buyser. 

Since creating Goblin Tools, De Buyser has been flooded with messages talking about the way folks have used his website to make their jobs easier. 

Creating a more inclusive workplace

While Goblin Tools is the most popular AI designed specifically for the community, more neurodiverse people are turning to AI tools for assistance in their daily work and new tools are being developed every day. Empowered Brain connects to smart glasses to help people read emotional cues in body language and facial expressions. GitMind uses AI to help people create mind maps and organize the flow of information. Though not designed specifically for the neurodiverse, transcription tools can now listen in on meetings, taking notes, summarizing, and proposing action items, offering valuable support. 

AI has its limitations and biases that must be considered when using these tools. But experts tracking the space see a technology that can help foster better understanding between neurotypical and neurodiverse coworkers, level the playing field, and create a more inclusive and productive working environment.

Begel, for one, is an optimist. “My ideal future uses AI as a tool to help teach neurodivergent and neurotypical coworkers how to understand each other better and grow to accommodate one another’s unique communication and cognitive styles.”