Workers are exaggerating their AI use to their bosses. Many feel pressure to prove they're keeping up.

In the age of AI changing the way people work, some workers feel like they're under a spotlight, proving their skills with the new technology.

Andrea Derler, principal of research and value at Visier, said performative AI happens because of pressure for workers to show their experience with the tech. That pressure comes from things like employer mandates or being judged by how productive they are with AI tools compared to others.

"People feel they have to constantly prove how great they are with AI and how much value they can create with AI," she said.

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Derler said leadership may feel pressure to show investors that they're making AI work for them, and other employees may feel pressure because of fears of job loss.

Derler said the performative aspect can be a waste of time because organizations don't learn how AI is actually effective and where it falls short.

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"Performative AI use seems to line up with a trust gap: employees are unsure of the organization's AI plan, and unconvinced that leaders understand it themselves," the Visier report said.

Organizations can also help people feel more confident about what they can do with AI. Visier found that about a third of workers would love more AI training and chances to upskill. Some people also want more transparency — 18% of employees expect better communication about AI's effects on workers.

Job seekers are also playing up their AI usage. Employers would ask Cristina Estupiñán, who spent years in software development and was looking for work after a layoff, about her enthusiasm for AI during interviews. "I have to make up something about what excites me about AI because, frankly, nothing really excites me about AI," Estupiñán said.

A post from Gallup's Jeffrey Jones said workers who use AI daily or weekly "are far more likely than irregular users to report AI benefits at work." For instance, 79% of AI users who use it regularly said it helps complete tasks faster, compared to 38% of other workers. For helping produce higher-quality work, the divide was 59% vs 26%.