Using ChatGPT at work? Your boss may trust you less, new study finds

A new study reveals that employees who use AI tools like ChatGPT may face a loss of trust from their supervisors at work, according to research led by Samuel Meyers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Dr. Roman Briker from WHU—Otto Beisheim School of Management in Germany. Published in The Leadership Quarterly, the study found that supervisors were less likely to trust employees who relied on artificial intelligence to complete their tasks, even when such use was not explicitly prohibited.

In experiments where supervisors evaluated reports or verified work independently, those who completed tasks themselves had a 68% chance of earning trust, while those who used AI had only a 24% chance. This trust penalty was observed regardless of the quality of the work produced. The researchers also found that the negative impact on trust was more severe when AI use was prohibited or when no organizational policies supported its use.

The study emphasizes the psychological and managerial implications of AI adoption, suggesting that organizations should implement clear policies encouraging responsible AI use and provide managerial training to mitigate the trust gap created by AI.