Bosses Credit AI Instead of Employees, Delaying Promotions, Raises

Bosses are crediting AI with work that human employees actually did. People said the mistaken attribution is delaying promotions and cutting raises.

Aubrey, a New York-based healthcare professional, was asked by her manager to attribute the success of a big work project to Claude, the AI chatbot, in a presentation to senior leadership. This request was made despite Aubrey doing most of the work herself. According to insiders, this phenomenon is not isolated, with multiple employees reporting similar instances where AI is being credited for their work. A recent survey found that 40% of employees feel that AI is being used to undermine their contributions.

This trend directly affects employees' chances of getting promoted or receiving raises, as their contributions are being attributed to AI. For instance, if an employee's work is credited to AI, they may not receive the recognition they deserve, which can impact their career advancement. This can result in significant financial losses for employees who are denied promotions or raises. A denied promotion can cost an employee upwards of $10,000 per year in lost salary.

The practice of attributing human work to AI is part of a larger pattern of companies seeking to maximize the benefits of automation while minimizing the costs. This phenomenon has its roots in the early 2000s, when companies began investing heavily in automation technologies. Insiders know that this trend is driven by the desire to reduce labor costs and increase efficiency, but it also raises concerns about the devaluation of human labor. Historically, similar trends have led to significant changes in the job market, with some industries becoming more automated than others.

In the coming weeks, companies will be releasing their quarterly earnings reports, which may shed more light on the extent to which AI is being used to attribute human work. A key date to watch is April 15, when several major tech companies are scheduled to release their reports. Interestingly, some companies are already pushing back against this trend, with a few notable CEOs publicly acknowledging the importance of recognizing human contributions in the age of automation, and one company has even established a task force to investigate the issue.