- Two-thirds (63%) of workers exaggerate their AI skills, creating an AI confidence gap
- The hype is driven by fears of job loss, with 69% of respondents worried that AI could automate their role.
- 64% believe employers have never verified workers’ AI skills; employees want more clarity
New GCheck data has revealed an emerging “AI trust gap” in workplaces, with employees publicly declaring they have great AI skills, but behind closed doors they lack confidence in their own abilities.
Two in three workers (63%) admit to exaggerating or overestimating their AI skills to appear more knowledgeable in the hopes of being more worthy of a job or promotion.
Surprisingly, this figure is higher among Gen Z workers, where four in five (80%) admit to exaggerating, suggesting that younger employees may feel more pressure to appear AI-ready than their peers.
There’s more than one reason to lie
“Workers are facing a new type of job pressure in which appearing AI-capable feels increasingly linked to employability and job security,” said CEO Houman Akhavan.
Only one in three workers (34%) believe they can confidently perform all the AI skills they claim to have, and the lie extends well beyond the resume.
Many admit to speaking confidently about AI in meetings (40%) to avoid falling behind, letting colleagues assume they are more competent than them (33%), taking credit for AI-assisted work as entirely their own (25%), volunteering for AI-related tasks they weren’t technically qualified for (18%), or admitting to outright lying about their AI experience (16%).
While three-quarters (76%) say they only exaggerate because they intend to learn these skills eventually, it’s clear that employees view themselves as lying only temporarily. A similar number (70%) also believe that others in the industry also exaggerate, thereby normalizing the behavior.
Fear is as much to blame as other career-related reasons
However, GCheck says workers don’t necessarily lie to get a better job or promotion. Many also lie out of fear: 69% fear that AI could automate part of their current role within two years. More than half (52%) also fear appearing less competitive if fired, and 46% fear being fired if they don’t develop AI skills.
This fear is also evident in workplace behavior, with half (53%) deliberately choosing manual methods over AI and 24% dismissing AI tools as useless, even when they are useful.
“This disconnect creates risks for organizations and uncertainty for employees trying to keep pace with rapid change,” Akhavan added.
The results also imply that managers may not be aware of the lies, since 64% of workers say their employers have never tried to verify their AI skills. Around half (47%) of workers are now calling for clearer explanations of how AI is used in recruiting. Additionally, around one in three (29%) say that if their employer was transparent about skills verification, they would be more honest about their skills.
With the report hinting at a workplace where employees fear becoming obsolete, it’s clear that a cultural shift is needed to normalize the adoption of artificial intelligence and reassure workers that with the right skills, they will continue to stay relevant.
“Automation anxiety is not just about job loss. It reshapes behaviors, distorts skills signals, and calls into question the credibility of the modern workforce,” the report concludes.
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