A new study from Duke University suggests that employees who use AI tools at work face negative judgments from their colleagues and managers, potentially damaging their professional reputation.
Ars Technica reports that the use of AI in the workplace has become increasingly prevalent, with tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Google Gemini offering the potential to boost productivity. However, a recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) by researchers from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business reveals that employees who use these AI tools may face a hidden social cost.
The study, titled “Evidence of a social evaluation penalty for using AI,” conducted four experiments with over 4,400 participants to examine both anticipated and actual evaluations of AI tool users. The findings consistently showed that employees who received help from AI were perceived as lazier, less competent, less diligent, less independent, and less self-assured compared to those who used conventional technology or no help at all.
