Many employees don’t take kindly to managers relying on AI for emails that are supposed to feel personal or sincere. According to a recent study published in the International Journal of Business Communication, emails written with heavy AI involvement can weaken trust within organizations more than most people expect.
The findings show that while many employees openly admit to using AI tools in their workplace, they don’t view the practice the same way when it comes from leadership. Only 40 percent of employees believe supervisors who lean heavily on AI sound genuine. In contrast, 83 percent of employees feel their leaders are sincere when AI use is minimal.
However, not every type of AI writing damages trust. Employees generally recognize that AI is useful for certain tasks. It can turn complicated thoughts into clear wording, fix grammar issues, or adjust tone to sound more professional. Moreover, AI assistance is not usually a problem for purely practical messages like sharing updates, confirming schedules, or proofreading drafts. In these cases, the tool serves more as an assistant than a substitute for real human effort.
The concern grows when AI is used in messages that carry emotional weight, like team motivation, recognition of effort, or building stronger workplace relationships. In these situations, authenticity matters. If managers rely too heavily on AI-generated language, staff may feel that sincerity is missing, which damages trust.
This distinction mirrors how most people see artificial intelligence in general. Across industries, automation is welcomed when it saves time on repetitive or low-value tasks. But many are uncomfortable when AI is used in areas that rely on emotion, creativity, or empathy.
For instance, an automated email announcing a new workplace policy is unlikely to cause concern. However, letting AI generate a note of appreciation, a motivational email, or a sensitive message can come across as cold and detached. These are moments when sincerity matters, and a robotic tone can easily damage goodwill.
Even if an AI-crafted message seems polished, subtle clues often reveal that it wasn’t written by the sender. The phrasing may feel unnatural or disconnected from the manager’s usual style.
Managers thus need to be selective about when to use AI in written communication. Maintaining employee trust and goodwill should remain a top priority, and relying too much on AI in personal or motivational messages risks eroding both.
Many companies, such as Thumzup Media Corp. (NASDAQ: TZUP) are emerging to help businesses navigate the thin line between the judicious use of AI and usage patterns that go overboard. The nuanced perceptions of the utility of AI require careful consideration regarding when one should use the technology, as the research above clearly shows.
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