Should You Disclose When You Use AI at Work?

The rise of generative AI tools has introduced a quiet tension into the modern workplace. Documents are written in seconds. Reports are summarized in minutes. Emails are drafted while the kettle boils. Yet the question of disclosure — whether you should tell others you used AI to help — remains largely unresolved.

There’s no universal policy. Few companies have guidelines. And most people are left navigating this space based on gut instinct, workplace culture, or not at all.

But as AI becomes an invisible co-worker, this silence poses real risks — not just for productivity, but for trust, attribution, and ethical alignment.

So: Should you disclose when you use AI at work?

The short answer is yes. But the longer answer is where things get interesting.

What’s Actually Happening

Right now, AI is being used in offices across industries to:

• Draft or rewrite internal documents

• Generate code or troubleshoot errors

• Brainstorm ideas for pitches, strategies, or content

• Summarize meetings, transcripts, or research

• Reformat, rephrase, or standardize communications

This use is often casual, task-specific, and time-saving — but undisclosed.

Few people are announcing: “This email was drafted using ChatGPT” or “This report summary was generated with Claude.” And yet, AI is shaping the tone, structure, and speed of our communication more every day.

For some, this feels like just another tool — no different than spellcheck or a grammar plugin. For others, it feels ethically murky: who really “wrote” this work? And do others deserve to know?

Why Disclosure Matters

AI tools change the dynamics of labor, authorship, and professional trust. When you don’t disclose that AI shaped your work, you’re silently asking others to assume it’s:

• Entirely human-generated

• A product of your original thinking and voice

• Fully vetted and fact-checked by you

That’s not always true — and when assumptions break, trust breaks with them.

Disclosure isn’t just about giving credit to a tool. It’s about preserving the integrity of professional relationships, especially in collaborative, client-facing, or high-stakes environments.

Power, Trust, and Transparency

AI use exists within power dynamics. Consider these situations:

• An intern uses AI to write a proposal but doesn’t tell their manager.

• A manager uses AI to summarize employee feedback and bases decisions on it.

• A freelance writer delivers work shaped by AI without disclosing the assist.

• A senior staff member prompts AI for strategic analysis but presents the insights as their own.

In each case, someone is making decisions based on partially obscured authorship. That matters.

Disclosure isn’t about announcing every tool you touch. It’s about honoring contextual transparency: when your use of AI changes how something is interpreted, it’s worth surfacing.

What Happens When You Don’t

Hiding AI use can lead to:

• Misaligned expectations: You’re seen as faster, more articulate, more analytical than you actually are — until that image falters.

• Broken trust: Colleagues or clients may feel deceived if they later discover automation played a role.

• Accountability gaps: You may be less likely to rigorously check AI-assisted work, assuming the machine “got it right.”

• Cultural erosion: Silence breeds mistrust. One undisclosed shortcut becomes many.

In short, nondisclosure can turn useful automation into quiet professional risk.

But Is Disclosure Always Necessary?

Not always. Ethical disclosure is about impact, not confession.

You probably don’t need to say, “Grammarly fixed some commas.” But if AI helped generate the core structure, voice, or argument of your work — or if someone is relying on that content to make decisions — disclosure adds clarity and builds trust.

Think of it this way:

If the presence of AI would change how someone uses, interprets, or assesses your work — disclosure is likely ethical.

What Thoughtful AI Disclosure Looks Like

Transparency doesn’t have to be awkward or heavy-handed. It can be simple, professional, and tailored to context:

• “This draft was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by me.”

• “Initial summary assisted by GPT-4; all conclusions verified and approved.”

• “Concepts brainstormed with AI support — human-edited and finalized.”

In some cases, even internal team shorthand works: “AI-assisted draft — please review tone/accuracy.”

The key is setting expectations. You’re not disclaiming ownership — you’re clarifying process.

Toward a Healthier Workplace AI Culture

Workplace norms are still forming. But here’s what a healthier approach might include:

• Shared guidelines for when and how to disclose

• Normalizing AI as a tool — not a cheat or a shortcut, but a legitimate part of the process

• Encouraging critical review of AI outputs (no over-reliance)

• Creating space for conversations about ethical boundaries, role definitions, and evolving expectations

The more openly we talk about AI, the more ethically we’re likely to use it.

Conclusion: Disclosure Is Respect

AI is here to stay in the workplace — but how we integrate it is still up for grabs. The choice isn’t between using AI or not. It’s between using it transparently and responsibly, or letting it silently reshape professional norms without reflection.

Disclosure isn’t about rules. It’s about respect:

• For your colleagues’ time, decisions, and trust

• For your clients’ expectations and values

• For the shared reality of what it means to collaborate in the age of machines

Being transparent about AI isn’t just ethical. It’s strategic. It helps people trust your work — and trust you.

So, should you disclose when you use AI at work?

Yes — when it counts. And more often than you think.

References and Resources

The following sources inform the ethical, legal, and technical guidance shared throughout The Daisy-Chain:

U.S. Copyright Office: Policy on AI and Human Authorship

Official guidance on copyright eligibility for AI-generated works.

UNESCO: AI Ethics Guidelines

Global framework for responsible and inclusive use of artificial intelligence.

Partnership on AI

Research and recommendations on fair, transparent AI development and use.

OECD AI Principles

International standards for trustworthy AI.

Stanford Center for Research on Foundation Models (CRFM)

Research on large-scale models, limitations, and safety concerns.

MIT Technology Review – AI Ethics Coverage

Accessible, well-sourced articles on AI use, bias, and real-world impact.

OpenAI’s Usage Policies and System Card (for ChatGPT & DALL·E)

Policy information for responsible AI use in consumer tools.