Managers Beware—AI-Written Emails Might Erode Employee Trust

Many of us are guilty of using AI to write an email or text that we didn’t know how to write ourselves, but becoming reliant on such tools does come with some risks. As a manager, your AI emails might erode employee trust faster than a hasty response you typed out yourself. The rise of AI tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, Perplexity, and Gemini has come with the promise of helping you become more efficient as you get through your workday, however, relying on these tools entirely does risk denting your image among the employees you manage.

AI emails destroy some of the trust and respect that a manager might have developed over the course of their interaction with employees, making it a tool best used sparingly. This is particularly important while writing emails of feedback and praise, as such messages require managers to share their own thoughts and insights rather than a generic response that doesn’t authentically represent the sender or receiver.

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AI Emails Erode the Trust Employees Feel Towards Managers and Employers

Have you ever sent out an email without remembering to remove the AI prompt response from your email? Have you panicked after a stray “Here’s how you can respond to your employee” or an errant “Let me know if you need any further assistance on alternate ways to say get well soon” was left in the email text you just copied out of a chatbot and sent out? If you haven’t made these errors before, it’s obvious that you’ve been careful about how you represent yourself in your communications. 

Unfortunately, steering clear of such blatant mistakes doesn’t guarantee that you can avoid souring your relationship with employees by using AI. The use of AI in communications is largely frowned upon within the workplace, particularly when it comes to sharing genuine feedback or thoughts with the workers you manage.

A new report by the International Journal of Business Communication recently revealed that AI-written emails affect the trust and goodwill within an organization more than we’d previously expected. The study revealed that while employees also admitted to using AI in their work, only 40% saw superiors using high levels of AI as sincere. In comparison, 83% viewed low AI assistance from supervisors as sincere. 

Is All AI Writing Equally Responsible for Harming Trust Among Employees?

No, not necessarily. Employees have come to understand that using AI at work does speed up some tasks. It allows the prompter to formulate certain complex thoughts into a clear message, which might be hard for them to do on their own. AI tools can also be very useful in eliminating grammatical errors or changing the tone of the message to a degree, allowing the sender to communicate more professionally.

As a result, AI-written emails intended for informative communication are not as frowned upon. For proofreading, grammar checks, and drafting straightforward emails, AI-produced content appears to be perfectly permissible. Matters grow more complex when it comes to emails that are meant to build relationships or motivate employees. Managers lose the trust of their employees when their AI emails are sent in situations where authenticity and genuine interest are paramount. 

AI-Written Messages Risk Authenticity in Communication

The differentiation between the contexts where it is and isn’t appropriate to use AI-written emails echoes the general sentiment that most feel towards artificial intelligence. Most individuals across the globe accept that AI can help automate and simplify menial tasks that are repetitive or time-consuming. At the same time, many resist the idea of AI tools creating “art” or becoming a replacement for HR because we have come to expect human connection and the expression of genuine sentiment in these areas. 

Using AI to write an email updating employees regarding a change in a workplace regulation is one thing, but AI emails destroy trust when it comes to sensitive communications. While you might think that the AI language is not apparent in your message, there are often some giveaways, particularly when the language is far removed from what is typically expected of the sender. 

It is best to be more critical about the right moments for managers to use AI in their work. Maintaining goodwill and a genuine connection with employees is of utmost importance, and AI emails risk eroding that trust even when the intentions are well-meaning.

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