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The AI Trust Gap: A Psychological Perspective

By Dan Everett on
Read more about author Dan Everett.

Only 52% of employees are confident their organization will ensure AI is implemented in a responsible and trustworthy way, according to Workday’s Closing the AI Trust Gap report. Trust will be key to getting employees engaged in the change needed to realize AI’s full potential. In my last post I looked at what can be done from a cultural perspective. In this post I look at what can be done from a psychological perspective.

Social Threats and Rewards

Behavior is influenced by social threats and rewards. These generally fall into the domains of our perception of worth to the organization. How much autonomy we have in our work. Our relationships with our colleagues. And our perception of equity in organizational change.

Let’s look at some ways to use these domains of psychological influence on behavior to close the AI Trust Gap. 

Worth: Elevating Employee Value to Close the AI Trust Gap

  • Validate worth: Address employees’ concerns about losing their jobs to AI. Reassure them of their value to the organization. And explain why their expertise is critical for getting value from AI investments. Employees that feel valued are more engaged and committed to change.
  • Amplify status: Foster career growth opportunities with skill enhancement programs. Help employees acquire the technical skills to use AI to enhance their work. As well as leadership skills to navigate the organizational change created by AI. This creates a culture of loyalty and trust essential for long-term success. 

Autonomy: Empowering Choice to Close the AI Trust Gap

  • Ask for input: Engage employees in discussions about how AI can enhance productivity and contribute to better work experiences. Encourage them to share their ideas and preferences regarding the integration of AI in their work activities.
  • Define boundaries: Give employees freedom to operate within a defined context. Establish clear boundaries and limitations, while letting employees decide how to use AI in ways that best suit their individual preferences and working styles.

Relationships: Fostering Connection to Close the AI Trust Gap

  • Establish purpose: Emphasize how AI will help employees collaborate to solve larger societal issues like reducing the company’s carbon footprint or curing diseases. Focusing on a purpose beyond organizational goals can help increase commitment to AI adoption.
  • Share perspectives: Provide opportunities for employees to share their diverse views on the pros and cons of AI. Open discussion about concerns and opportunities helps employees connect with each other and develop support networks to navigate AI induced organizational change.

Equity: Ensuring Fairness to Close the AI Trust Gap

  • Create transparency: Clearly define policies, processes, roles, and responsibilities. Communicate who is accountable for AI decisions, the escalation processes, and the guidelines for ensuring decisions address compliance and ethics concerns. This clarity is critical for establishing trust in the organization’s AI practices. 
  • Recruit allies: Our perception of equity is shaped by our peers. Identify key influencers within groups – those individuals respected and admired by their peers, regardless of formal authority. Getting their endorsement can positively influence their peers’ views on fairness and equity in the organization’s AI policies and processes.

Closing the AI Trust Gap requires an understanding of the psychology of organizational change. Threats to employees’ worth, autonomy, relationships, and equity create resistance to adopting the change required to maximize the value of AI investments. Elevating employee value, empowering choice, fostering connection, and ensuring fairness are not only essential for closing the trust gap but also for driving meaningful engagement and commitment to use AI.  

As you navigate the evolving AI landscape, don’t underestimate the importance of psychological and cultural factors in building a foundation of trust with employees.

The suggestions presented here are not all-encompassing; rather, they are intended to stimulate thinking on how addressing psychological influences can bridge the AI Trust Gap. I welcome your perspectives and insights on this subject.