Study Reveals Workplace Stigma Around AI Use, Potentially Hindering Adoption

Employees Fear the Stigma of Using AI at Work, According to a Study

Business owners who want their employees to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) applications and improve how they do their jobs may face a bigger challenge than their staff learning how to use those tools effectively. A new study indicates many workers hesitate to adopt the tech out of concerns colleagues will disdain them as being lazy if they do -- and also that those negative perceptions are very much a part of today's workplace. Researchers at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, Management and Organizations determined that many employees attach a considerable degree of stigma to colleagues using AI in the workplace. They found that biases against apps not only dissuade many workers from using them in fear they may be looked down upon by AI-wary colleagues. They discovered that some people who adopted the tech at their jobs got labeled negatively, which affected their workplace status. "Individuals who use AI tools face negative judgments about their competence and motivation from others," the study's authors wrote. "These judgments manifest as both anticipated and actual social penalties, creating a paradox where productivity-enhancing AI tools can simultaneously improve performance and damage one's professional reputation." The researchers came up with that conclusion after putting 4,400 participants through four different test scenarios.

Workers using AI tools seen as less competent: Study

Across all experiments, one trend stood out. Participants with direct experience using AI were consistently more accepting of both their own and others' AI use. The findings suggest that social perceptions may act as a barrier to the adoption of AI in professional settings. Even when the tools deliver measurable improvements in efficiency, hesitation around their use may persist due to workplace culture.Employees who rely on artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini or Copilot are often perceived as less intelligent, less hardworking and even lazier than their peers, according to a new study by Duke University. The research highlights a potential social bias that could slow the broader acceptance of AI in the workplace, despite its proven benefits in boosting productivity. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was conducted by researchers Jessica Reif, Richard Larrick and Jack Soll. It involved four online experiments with 4,400 participants to examine how workers who use AI are perceived by others. In the first experiment, participants were asked to imagine themselves using an AI tool to complete a task, then assess how they believed their colleagues would judge them. Most expected to be seen as lazy, incompetent or easily replaceable. The second experiment asked respondents to evaluate co-workers who used AI to complete assignments. The perceptions remained largely negative, with such workers viewed as less competent, less confident and lacking independence. A third experiment placed participants in the position of hiring managers reviewing job applicants. Candidates who admitted to using AI for work were rated less favourably. However, the bias diminished when the hiring managers themselves had experience using AI tools. In the final experiment, the researchers explored how perceptions changed when AI use was both appropriate for the task and clearly improved productivity. Under these conditions, the negative judgments reduced significantly. Across all experiments, one trend stood out. Participants with direct experience using AI were consistently more accepting of both their own and others' AI use. The findings suggest that social perceptions may act as a barrier to the adoption of AI in professional settings. Even when the tools deliver measurable improvements in efficiency, hesitation around their use may persist due to workplace culture. The study comes at a time when the role of AI in the future of work is under intense scrutiny. While AI is being adopted to automate routine functions, concerns remain over its impact on human jobs. Last month, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development warned that AI could affect up to 40% of jobs globally.