Debate continues about when to disclose that you have used AI to create an output. Do you disclose any use at all? Do you confine disclosure to uses of AI that could lead people to feel deceived? Wherever you land on this question, it may not matter when it comes to building trust with your audience. According to a new study, audiences lose trust as soon as they see an AI disclosure. This doesn’t mean you should not disclose, however, since finding out that you used AI and didn’t disclose is even worse. That leaves little wiggle room for communicators taking advantage of AI and seeking to be as transparent as possible. In this short midweek FIR episode, Neville and Shel examine the research along with recommendations about how to be transparent while remaining trusted.

Links from this episode:

• The transparency dilemma: How AI disclosure erodes trust
• The ‘Insights 2024: Attitudes toward AI’ Report Reveals Researchers and Clinicians Believe in AI’s Potential but Demand Transparency in Order to Trust Tools (press release)
• Insights 2024: Attitudes toward AI
• Being honest about using AI at work makes people trust you less, research finds
• Should Businesses Disclose Their AI Usage?
• Insights 2024: AI’ Report – Researchers and Clinicians Believe AI’s Potential but Need Transparency
• New research: When disclosing use of AI, be specific
• Demystifying Generative AI Disclosures
• The Janus Face of Artificial Intelligence Feedback: Deployment Versus Disclosure Effects on Employee Performance

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, May 26.

We host a Communicators Zoom Chat most Thursdays at 1 p.m. ET. To obtain the credentials needed to participate, contact Shel or Neville directly, request them in our Facebook group, or email fircomments@gmail.com.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for