Lazy and incompetent? AI use damages the image of the office

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) can damage your reputation in the workplace. According to a study by Duke University, employees are more likely to perceive their colleagues as lazy and incompetent if they rely on AI chatbots to complete their tasks. “Our findings present a dilemma for people considering the use of AI,” write the authors of the study. “While AI can increase productivity, its use comes at a social cost.”

AI users appear less self-confident

In a survey, the researchers determined the perception of two fictitious applications that can assist with tasks at work. One of them was supposed to contain generative AI, while the other did not. The test subjects expected that their colleagues would tend to perceive them as lazy, incompetent and replaceable if they used the AI-supported tool. They also stated that they would rather not tell their colleagues and superiors about the use of the AI application.

In addition to the expected self-perception, the authors of the study asked the test subjects in a second step about their impression of colleagues who are supported by AI in their work and came to the same conclusions. They also found that employees who use AI tools are less independent and more self-confident than those who use applications without AI. The comparison with employees who do not use digital support showed similar results. However, demographic characteristics such as age and gender had no measurable impact on the perception of AI use.

Personal knowledge influences perception of AI

Instead, personal skills in dealing with artificial intelligence are decisive for the perception of AI use. In a simulated application process, candidates who used AI tools were more likely to be accepted if their superiors also used the technology. However, if line managers did not use AI applications, they tended to reject such applicants. The negative perception of AI users also decreased significantly if their colleagues clearly classified the tool used as useful.

In real application procedures, the use of AI tools is increasingly proving to be a problem for German companies. For each advertised position, they spend around ten working days sorting out irrelevant applications that were created with the help of generative AI. To counteract the additional burden, one in three companies in Germany now use AI applications themselves to manage the flood of AI applications and make a pre-selection.

(sfe)