{
  "id": 11203067,
  "title": "Your boss might be using AI to write your performance review",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/your-boss-might-be-using-ai-to-write-your-performance-review",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-10-01T13:12:54.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "TechRadar",
    "slug": "techradar",
    "url": "https://www.techradar.com/ai-platforms-assistants/your-boss-might-be-using-ai-to-write-your-performance-review-and-some-companies-could-be-letting-it-help-decide-who-gets-promoted"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "As the annual performance review season approaches, there's a growing concern that your boss may be using artificial intelligence to draft your appraisal. According to a survey conducted by Headway, 33% of managers have utilized AI to write feedback or prepare performance reviews, while 31% have employed AI to address team conflicts. Additionally, 27% have turned to AI assistance for composing uncomfortable conversations they needed to have. This figure is down from 41% in a similar survey conducted a year ago, but still an alarming rate.\n\nThe convenience of using AI is appealing to managers, as it can save time when writing multiple performance reviews. However, there's a risk that personal performance feedback might be outsourced to a bot. Thalia-Maria Tourikis, a health coach and burnout prevention expert, warns that while AI can help organize thoughts during difficult conversations, it should not replace human interaction. She emphasizes that when human emotions like trust and empathy are involved, they are best conveyed by a person rather than AI.\n\nBeyond performance reviews, AI use extends to helping managers prepare for difficult conversations. Surprisingly, 57% of managers have scripted or rehearsed such discussions using AI. Thalia-Maria Tourikis stresses that although AI may assist in organizing thoughts, it is not advisable to delegate the actual conversation to a machine. Human emotions such as trust and empathy are better conveyed when written by a person, as AI-generated text may seem superficial and lack the same impact.\n\nWhile the Headway survey does not clearly state whether managers are merely improving grammar and word choice or generating entire performance reviews using AI, the distinction between these extremes is significant. If AI is used to entirely write performance reviews, it raises serious concerns, especially when these reviews are linked to financial compensation such as raises or salary increments. Discovering that your annual salary or job security is determined by AI instead of a human manager could be deeply disappointing.",
  "summary": "Manager are turning to AI for dealing with awkward conversations and performance reviews.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}