[2607.29380] The Tragedy of the Cognitive Commons: How AI Could Disrupt the Regeneration of Professional Expertise

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arXiv:2607.29380 (cs)

[Submitted on 31 Jul 2026]

Title:The Tragedy of the Cognitive Commons: How AI Could Disrupt the Regeneration of Professional Expertise

Authors:Nolan Lovett<br>View a PDF of the paper titled The Tragedy of the Cognitive Commons: How AI Could Disrupt the Regeneration of Professional Expertise, by Nolan Lovett

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Abstract:Artificial intelligence is reshaping cognitive work, but Human Resource Development scholarship has treated this transformation as an organizational training challenge, leaving the collective regeneration of professional expertise unexamined. This conceptual paper introduces the Cognitive Commons framework, integrating commons theory, HRD scholarship, and distributed cognition to explain how rational AI adoption decisions can deplete the shared expertise pool professions require for renewal. The framework distinguishes Internalized Mastery (deep domain knowledge from sustained practice) from Distributed Mastery (orchestrating human-AI systems), and develops the Validation Tether: effective AI oversight depends on the expertise AI adoption may undermine. Early labor market and clinical evidence suggests possible disruption to expertise-regeneration pathways in highly AI-exposed sectors, though adoption is recent and the strongest signals come from leading sectors rather than all professions. Five factors determine occupational vulnerability, and governance arrangements may form across organizational, professional-association, and policy levels. The paper reframes expertise development as collective stewardship rather than organizational optimization, with implications for HRD theory and workforce policy.

Comments:<br>Author accepted manuscript. Published in Human Resource Development Review; the version of record is available at the DOI. Submitted 2 November 2025, accepted 6 July 2026, published online 26 July 2026. This is a work of the United States Government and is not subject to copyright protection in the United States (17 U.S.C. 105)

Subjects:

Computers and Society (cs.CY); General Economics (econ.GN)

Cite as:<br>arXiv:2607.29380 [cs.CY]

(or<br>arXiv:2607.29380v1 [cs.CY] for this version)

https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2607.29380

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arXiv-issued DOI via DataCite (pending registration)

Journal reference:<br>Human Resource Development Review, advance online publication (2026)

Related DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1177/15344843261470602

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DOI(s) linking to related resources

Submission history<br>From: Nolan Lovett [view email]<br>[v1]<br>Fri, 31 Jul 2026 13:04:07 UTC (401 KB)

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View a PDF of the paper titled The Tragedy of the Cognitive Commons: How AI Could Disrupt the Regeneration of Professional Expertise, by Nolan Lovett<br>View PDF

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