This article was published in TSE science magazine, TSE Mag. It is part of the Autumn 2023 issue, dedicated to “The World of Work”. Discover the full PDF here and email us for a printed copy or your feedback on the mag, there.

Don’t have time to write an email? Don’t worry, AI is here! You might already be using recommended email responses. Why not? It saves time, as someone has thought how to reply. Someone? Or something... Artificial intelligence. Psychologist Zoe Purcell tells us more about our communicating via AI. 

The use of AI-mediated communication is booming. From email prompts to Alexa, Grammarly and ChatGPT, many of us rely on a computational agent to modify, augment or generate messages. In communication focused organizations, like call centers, AI is already being harnessed, for example, to make employees sound happier. Other organizations are poised to benefit from AI communication since Covid accelerated the shift to online and remote working, integrating new technology. 

Like previous technological disruptions, the introduction of AI communication to the workplace comes with pros and cons. AI tools can help people overcome disadvantages, for instance improving your ability to write in another language. However, attitudes towards AI in the workplace differ depending on gender, race, and education. In that sense, AI may exacerbate existing inequalities. 

AUTHENTICITY 

The introduction of AI to the workplace will come with many trade-offs we are only beginning to understand. My research at IAST (interdisciplinary research department housed at TSE) suggests that people using AI powered text tools, like ChatGPT, can produce the same quality of work as people who don’t, but they save time. When AI use is detected (or suspected), however, this efficiency gain is offset by a reduction in interpersonal trust and authenticity. For instance, job applicants can now use AI to edit or create cover letters and CVs. Hiring committees are already using AI to evaluate applications that have been AI-generated. 

Depending on the purpose and context of the communication, workers and workplaces will have to carefully consider whether it is appropriate for them. At the same time, we need to start asking what authenticity really means. Is a message authentic because it is ‘unedited’? 

As this technology develops, we expect to see shifts in what is seen as acceptable and normal in the workplace. Therefore, while the use of these tools may reduce trust at the moment - it may not carry so much stigma in the future. With AI communication tools now in the hands of everyday workers, it may be time to reframe authenticity as capturing the author’s truest intention. With this approach, AI augmentation may be seen as a tool for greater authenticity, clearer communication, and deeper trust rather than deception, miserliness, or mistrust.

FURTHER READING

Fears about AI-mediated communication are grounded in different expectations for one’s own versus others’ use, Zoe A. Purcell and co-authors, 2023.