Along with the rest of the modern workplace, artificial intelligence (AI) has become one of the most disruptive innovation forces that have fundamentally transformed the traditional workplace activity, routine communications, and the value delivery of an organization. However, with the further penetration of AI-empowered tools in the daily work processes, new behavioral models, especially in the younger working generations (Gen Z workers), are evoking publicly remarkable concerns.

It is seen in a recent report published by the resume building platform, resume genius, that around 40 percent of generation Z men claim to use AI in order to seem more productive in workplaces. In spite of the fact that AI repeatedly suggests incontrovertible benefits, in terms of speed, efficiency, information availability, AI abuse and overuse are mapping out a more convoluted background, particularly when it comes to this youngest group of professionals.

AI at Work: A Double-Edged Sword

An online survey conducted on about 1,000 full-time Gen Z workers shows that 60 percent of the responders believe that artificial intelligence has made their life more productive as they can work without putting much effort. Applications of AI go as far as analysis of data and brainstorm, writing emails and creating presentations. There is no surprise that 56 percent of people ascribe more accuracy and quality to these tools, and 42 percent point to the creation of new job opportunities as the rationale behind the application of AI.

Yet, the same tools that enable efficiency are now raising ethical questions. A considerable proportion of Gen Z professionals are leveraging AI not just as assistants, but as behind-the-scenes performers that mask actual effort—especially among men.

A Gender Divide in AI Usage

One of the more striking aspects of the report is the clear disparity in how Gen Z men and women are using AI:

• Brainstorming: 85% of men use AI vs. 67% of women
  
• Data analysis: 77% of men vs. 50% of women
  
• Writing emails and reports: 74% of men vs. 63% of women
  
• Content creation and presentation design: 74% of men vs. 53% of women
  

The data also indicates that men are more willing to cross ethical lines. More than half (52%) of Gen Z men admitted to automating tasks without managerial approval, compared to 30% of women. Around 42% of men have used AI in ways that could violate company policies, such as sharing sensitive internal data—nearly double the rate of their female counterparts (23%).

Perhaps most concerning is that 39% of Gen Z men admitted to using AI-generated content to appear more productive, with 15% doing it often or always. This compares to just 23% of women and 8% respectively. These numbers paint a picture of a workforce not just using AI to assist, but to strategically misrepresent their own output.

The Temptation of AI-Enhanced Performance

It’s easy to understand why AI inspires such a sense of awe. Under extreme deadlines, skyrocketing demands, and constant pressure to multitask, many professionals—especially those in entry-level roles—feel tempted to delegate time-intensive tasks to artificial intelligence bots like ChatGPT, Grammarly, and Jasper AI.

Today, members of Generation Z, people who are born to work with digital technologies and have a sense of digital fluency, find the implementation of AI in everyday work routine completely natural.

The alarming thing about this trend, however, is that currently there is no oversight and transparency regarding the implementation of AI. When output generated by AI is passed off as the output of a human employee with no disclosure, the issue of authenticity, integrity at the workplace and trust is bound to come up.

Interestingly, 57 percent of the surveyed employees admit that they also use AI to check their work before submitting it to one of the supervisors, and 56 percent rely on AI to provide advice in interacting with co-workers or managers. These numbers highlight the growing dependence on AI and at the same time imply the crutch phenomena where professionals themselves could gradually mistrust their own competence.

Overreliance and Ethical Grey Zones

The misuse of AI to inflate productivity metrics opens up new challenges for managers and HR departments. Around 28% of respondents admitted to passing off AI-generated work as their own, with 41% saying they would do so again. Moreover, 18% claimed they would consider quitting their jobs if AI tools were banned—a sign of how deeply embedded these tools have become in their workflows.

Such behavior, while seemingly harmless in the short term, has significant implications:

• Quality degradation: Repeated reliance on AI-generated content could erode personal skill development.
  
• Security risks: Sharing internal data with third-party AI tools may violate data protection regulations.
  
• Loss of accountability: Workers may escape scrutiny by hiding behind AI-generated work.
  

Some respondents even acknowledged the personal cost of such overreliance—23% admitted that using AI had negatively impacted their mental health.

Productivity vs. Burnout: A Thin Line

Ironically, the very tools meant to ease workloads are also causing strain. According to the report:

• 49% are worried AI could lead to unfair decisions impacting their career.
  
• 40% feel forced to learn new skills just to keep up with evolving AI tools.
  
• 36% report burnout due to constant AI updates.
  
• 38% depend on AI to manage workload, indicating a potential decline in personal problem-solving capacity.
  
• 37% feel AI makes them replaceable, showing a growing fear of automation-induced obsolescence.
  

These statistics reveal an undercurrent of anxiety, especially for employees trying to balance efficiency with self-preservation in the face of rapid technological change.

Real-World Implications for Employers

The current results are worthy of consideration not only on moral grounds but also bearing the other material issue, i.e., the organizational culture, information integrity, and the future rise of individuals in the organization.

Take an example of when there is automation of routine work by employees without others knowing about it. As such it is hard to determine actual competence with such practices. As a result, performance reviews may include skewed output data that fails to reflect true effort or real potential.

In addition to that the misapplication of AI, e.g. in the environment that requires sensitive information or critical thinking, puts the firms under a threat of breaking data security rules (such as GDPR and HIPAA).

The Path Forward: Transparency, Training, and Governance

To address these challenges, businesses need to:

1. Implement clear AI use policies: Establish guidelines on what constitutes acceptable use of AI at work, especially in roles involving proprietary or client-sensitive information.
   
2. Offer training on responsible AI usage: Equip employees with knowledge on how to use AI ethically and effectively without compromising company standards.
   
3. Incorporate AI usage into performance reviews: Don’t just track outcomes—evaluate how those outcomes were achieved.
   
4. Foster a culture of openness: Encourage employees to be transparent about AI use. When workers feel safe disclosing their tools, better conversations around productivity and growth can take place.
   
5. Balance innovation with accountability: AI tools can augment workflows, but they shouldn’t replace personal initiative, creativity, or accountability.
   

Conclusion

Artificial intelligence is becoming an unavoidable part of workplaces. While its benefits are significant, adopting it comes with a learning curve—especially for Gen Z professionals navigating environments that increasingly rely on automation. The Resume Genius report has a keen observation: the success of AI does not only rely on the approach or method used but also on the reason as to why AI became part of the solution.

Since an increasing number of enterprises start utilizing AI in their daily life, they have to be sensitive to the thin line between help and addiction, usefulness and performance imitation. Even the best technology may bear unforeseen results unless it is supervised prudently.

Even in the AI era, success isn’t defined by how much we produce, but by the integrity and transparency behind that production. This may be the most crucial insight for both companies and individuals navigating today’s digital landscape.