Linked – Employees are hiding their AI use from their managers. Here’s why

A couple of interesting takeaways from this article:

• Employees are hiding their use of AI –

“Our research shows that even if AI helped you complete a task more quickly and efficiently, plenty of people wouldn’t want their bosses to know they used it,” said Christina Janzer, head of Slack’s Workforce Lab. “Leaders need to understand that this technology doesn’t just exist in a business context of ‘Can I get the job done as quickly and effectively as possible,’ but in a social context of ‘What will people think if they know I used this tool for help?'”

This makes sense to me. I admit I didn’t think about it before, but if AI allows me to get my work done quicker, do I want to let anyone know that and have more work dumped on my plate? Or do I risk crossing that line from having a job and the AI doing my job in my place?

That line is out there.

More importantly, I want credit for the work I do. If using AI is seen as cheating or cutting corners, I’m not likely to want anyone to know about it. In my opinion, this is on employers. They must set the cultural expectations that using AI is intelligent and efficient, not lazy. They also need to provide training on how to use AI effectively so that it is transparent and available to everyone.

The second interesting bit was this:

• Younger employees see a decrease in social interaction –

The report also predicts that Gen Z and Millenials are most comfortable using AI and are at risk of the tech “degrading social connection.” Slack found that 81% of AI users ask AI tools for advice instead of a peer or friend.

Given the number of employers telling employees to return to the office because it’s better for collaboration and learning, it’s interesting that those same employers want us all to use AI, too. If I am expected to ask AI for information and help with questions, why must I be in the office to learn from the other employees?

Think about it. It would be best to be in the office to interact with and learn from coworkers, but please use ChatGPT to get answers to questions and help with research. However, working remotely and asking someone a question in a chat is not OK.

Are we going to create an office where we all sit on Zoom meetings, chat with AI assistants, and claim that it is superior to remote work? Trends seem to be pointing in that direction.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/employees-are-hiding-their-ai-use-from-their-managers-heres-why/

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