Why Aren’t We Admitting We Use AI?

At the Bold & Responsible People Leader Summit a few weeks ago, an interesting conversation emerged: people aren’t admitting they use AI.

We’re finding that across industries, employees are hesitant to say, “Yes, I used AI to do that.” Whether it’s for fear of judgment or the misconception that using AI somehow devalues their contribution, this reluctance is holding us back.

So, let’s talk about it. In the room, we explored why this is happening, what the impacts are, and most importantly, how we fix it.

🗣️ The Reluctance to Talk About AI

In many businesses, there’s an unspoken rule that using AI is something to keep under wraps. Why? Because people feel like admitting they saved time with AI might make it look like they’re not working hard enough. We’re stuck in an old mindset where effort trumps efficiency.

The mindset shift we need to make is this: AI isn’t replacing hard work; it’s transforming it. It’s allowing us to work smarter, faster, and more creatively. So why aren’t we shouting from the rooftops when AI helps us smash through tasks in half the time?

🙊 Two Big Problems When We Keep AI Use Secret

1. Missed Learning Opportunities. When people in our organizations don’t admit to using AI, they’re not sharing those efficiency gains with the rest of the business. Someone might have found a brilliant way to save 3 hours a week using AI, but because they keep it to themselves, no one else benefits. If we don’t openly discuss how AI is helping us, we’re missing out on scaling those wins across entire teams and departments.
2. Discomfort in How Work Gets Done. The other side of the coin is that people feel uneasy about how they’re getting work done. If someone’s using AI but feels they can’t admit it, they might start questioning their own contribution. But here’s the reality—if AI helps you get a task done faster, that’s a win, not a shortcut. The value is in the outcome, not in how long it took to get there.

💗 Changing the Culture: Leaders Need to Set the Tone

The way forward starts with leadership. If we, as leaders, are open about how we’re using AI, we can create a culture where everyone feels comfortable doing the same. It’s up to us to set the tone and show that leveraging AI isn’t something to hide—it’s something to show off!

Think about it: when you ask someone how they’re doing, how often do they respond with, “Oh, I’m just so busy”? We’ve created a culture where busyness is equated with success. But what are we really rewarding?

Are we placing value on outcomes or just effort?

Still don’t want to talk about it? I’ll go first. At Reejig, we openly encourage our teams to use AI wherever it makes sense. We even pay for GPT 4o for our employees—because we know it makes them more efficient.

In fact, I’ll admit it: this newsletter? It was run through ChatGPT. And guess what? That doesn’t make it any less valuable. These are still all my thoughts and opinions and the end result is what counts, not how many hours it took to get here.

🏅 Normalizing AI Wins

If we want to normalize AI usage and truly unlock our people’s potential, the conversation has to start at the top. Leaders need to show they’re comfortable with AI and that they’re actively encouraging its use. Only then will employees feel empowered to share their own experiences without fear of judgment.

I challenge you to start sharing your AI wins, whether they’re big or small. Did AI help you cut down your research time? Or maybe you used it to automate a report that used to take you hours? Those are the stories we need to hear, because that’s where real growth and innovation come from.

Your turn. What’s your AI win this week? Let’s start the conversation—and make sharing AI success the new norm.

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