This article is the second of a two-part series co-authored with Andy Thurai, vice president and principal analyst with Constellation Research.
In the first article of this series, we explored some of the unanswered questions around the use of artificial intelligence tools and platforms to gain the edge in career advancement. While there is great concern about responsible corporate use of AI from an ethical, moral, and legal perspective, it’s important to also look at the ethics and responsibilities that should be associated with personal AI use. When is AI usage acceptable to gain advantage for personal purposes and when is it potentially crossing the line?
Employers, for one, are getting suspicious about the use of generative AI that may overstate a job candidate’s skills. A survey of 1,000 jobhunters conducted by ResumeBuilder, for example. found that while 40% of job-hunters say their interviewer was aware they used ChatGPT to write their resume or cover letter, more than one-third of this group, 35%, report they were actually denied a job as a result .
So AI not only helps you get a job, but it can also take you out of the competition because someone thought you were cheating.
Educational institutions are also wrestling with this issue. There are documented instances of students, especially at the collegiate level, who are being denied proper grades because they were suspected of using AI to “cheat.” In one recently reported case, a student’s paper was flagged by an anti-plagiarism tool as being AI generated, resulting in a “zero” grade. The student claimed that the paper was an original work that was grammar and spell-checked using Grammarly, an online editing tool which is an accepted tool of usage at many educational institutions.
There may be echoes of unfairness with AI use in job-hunting even among members of tech-savvy Generation Z. A majority of 1,000 current graduate and undergraduate students surveyed by BestColleges, 55%, say using AI tools on job applications would give some candidates an unfair advantage. Only About one in five, 39%, say using AI tools on job applications is acceptable.
Still, there is an acceptable side to AI usage: 40% say AI tools would help improve job prospects for socially or economically disadvantaged groups.
It is ethical to look to professional help in one’s job hunt, schoolwork, or business pursuits — in fact, it is encouraged. It only makes sense to adopt the most powerful tools and technology for analysis and presentations. But is there a line crossed when the work presented — perhaps resulting in a promotion — is not wholly one’s own work?
Plagiarism, whether it is copied from a machine’s work or from a person’s work, is still plagiarism, and highly scrutinized in many industries including high tech.
In addition, overuse of generative AI may even present quality challenges. For example, many software developers find Github Copilot to be an impressive time-saver and productivity tool – code can be generated, or existing code ported to another language within minutes.
However, the quality of code has decreased significantly since the AI code production has become common, a survey by GitClear finds, based on an examination of 150 million changed lines of code over a four-year period. Code churn — the percentage of lines that are reverted or updated less than two weeks after being authored — is projected to double in 2024 compared to its 2021, pre-AI baseline,” the survey’s authors predict.
Critical Questions We Must Ask About Personal AI Usage
Widespread AI use for career advancement is only going to keep accelerating. At the same time, this brings up ethical, moral, and even possibly legal questions, which have yet to be sorted out:
- Is the use of AI for competitive advantage in a job hunt fair competition? How about between coworkers seeking promotions to the same position?
- Do hiring managers need to prepare for ubiquitous AI use, and therefore devise AI-proof candidate qualification tests and processes?
- Do individuals who do use AI to gain an advantage over others experience guilt or remorse if it helps them win in a competitive situation?
- Is it okay for people with lesser skills to compete using AI, or is it an unfair advantage?
- How do we create a fair playing ground for humans to compete with one another — regardless of whether one is using AI assistance or not?
Bottom Line – Be Mindful About Personal AI Use
This is the age of AI-driven possibilities, which are abundant and only beginning to be realized. One risks being left behind if they don’t use AI tools in any line of work. We have seen, time and again, even experts in their fields are no match against AI-assisted competition.
Still, the right and responsible personal use of AI is being defined. Vigilance and awareness can help users navigate these murky waters. These issues and guardrails with AI will eventually get worked out. As things progress, individuals should be aware of how irresponsible use of AI could backfire. They need to proceed with caution that irresponsible or ill-considered AI use may, at a minimum, taint the integrity of their work, and worse, short-circuit their careers.
This is also a time when tried-and-true non-technical skills – such as communication and presentation skills – need to be revisited and honed as well. We may be seeing a return to face-to-face conversations – without AI handy as a crutch – as a way of validating one’s credentials and understanding of pertinent topics.
Importantly, don’t become over-dependent on AI – as with just about everything in life, moderation is the key to success. One should rely on their own experience and insight to fashion new ideas and employ AI as a helpful assistant to formulate and bring ideas and innovations to their studies, work, managers, or markets.
Every new idea is eventually challenged and relying 100% on AI will prevent users from fully understanding what’s behind the new ideas they pitch. In addition, overuse of AI means a potential loss of individual skills.
Use AI with caution, mostly as a tool for assistance and enhancement. Double-check AI output to ensure that work generated is accurate, is timely, and edit to ensure that the eventual work is original. In instances where AI is employed, state this upfront.
AI is the most valuable tool we’ve seen in decades for professional advancement, and its use should be encouraged. Its responsible use will help assure people attain their dreams and goals.
