Secret cyborgs.
Also known as: Hidden AI use
People who use AI to do their work and don’t tell anyone. The term comes from Wharton professor Ethan Mollick, who wrote in 2023 about employees who had worked out how to use AI to improve or automate parts of their jobs and were keeping quiet about it. People may hide their AI use because the rules are unclear, because they’re worried about looking replaceable, or because they’d rather keep the advantage. It is closely related to shadow AI, where people use AI tools at work without their organisation’s knowledge or approval. The opposite happens too, with people overstating how much AI they use because that’s what management wants to hear.
In the wild
“There are at least three reasons these cyborgs stay secret. But they all boil down to the same thing: people don’t want to get in trouble.”
Seen here: Ethan Mollick, One Useful Thing, 2023
For AI users
Know your organisation’s rules. If you’re using AI on work that matters, say so, especially where accuracy or authorship counts. And don’t use it secretly on sensitive data, because that’s where hiding it becomes a real problem.
For business leaders
You may already have secret cyborgs using shadow AI. They’re potentially some of the most useful people you’ve got, because they’ve worked out what AI is good at in your business. Make it safe for them to come forward and share what works and what doesn’t. You can learn from what they’ve already done, involve them in bringing AI into your workflows, and address any risks from their use of unapproved tools.