Gen Z workers hide AI use from employers, Imperial research finds

What the research found

Many younger employees are using artificial intelligence tools at work without telling anyone, according to TechRadar, which reports on new research from Imperial College London's Imperial Lifelong Learning division. The study found that 29% of Gen Z workers use AI without their employer's knowledge.

The same research found that 35% of Gen Z respondents feel dishonest when they use AI in their role, while 26% worry that colleagues or managers would view secret AI use negatively. The survey covered five industries: engineering, financial services, technology, energy and healthcare.

Shadow AI grows in the workplace

The report highlights the spread of what is often called shadow AI, meaning the use of AI chatbots that an employer has not approved. Although large language model chatbots have been widely available since 2022, some organisations still have no formal AI policy in place.

That gap leaves workers to make their own judgement calls. Younger staff may use the tools to keep pace with their workload, but without clear rules they can fear that doing so will be seen as cheating rather than as a legitimate way of working.

How generations compare

Gen Z is not the only group using AI quietly, but the figures differ by age. The 29% of Gen Z workers using AI without their employer's knowledge is 11 percentage points higher than the equivalent figure for Millennials, and more than double the figure for Gen X.

Millennials are, according to the research, the group most likely to use AI in their day-to-day work. Even so, they share similar concerns about how colleagues judge AI use, suggesting the unease crosses age groups.

Education and unclear policies

Imperial Lifelong Learning describes the relationship between Gen Z and AI as complex. Heather Haseley, Chief Lifelong Learning Officer at the division, said the findings show UK workers feel uneasy about AI and its effect on the economy, and that education has a critical role in helping people of every generation use such tools responsibly and transparently.

Haseley also noted that industry leaders interviewed for the research pointed to a mismatch between how AI is treated in workplaces and in education. Young learners can be penalised for using AI, and that uncertainty, she said, follows them into their first jobs.

The study also found that 59% of workers believe there is a skills gap in their industry. Imperial Lifelong Learning argues that higher education can help close this gap, but says guidance should also begin on the first day of every new job.

Why it matters

Hidden AI use creates risks for both sides. Employers cannot govern tools they do not know are being used, which can raise questions around data handling, accuracy and accountability. Workers, meanwhile, may miss out on training and recognition for skills they already have.

For readers, the message from the research is that clear workplace AI policies and open conversations about these tools could reduce the secrecy. Until then, the gap between what employees do and what employers know looks set to continue.