It’s not just you — nearly two-thirds of workers say they’ve exaggerated AI skills to get ahead at their company

Two-thirds (63%) of workers exaggerate their AI skills, creating an AI confidence gap
Exaggeration is driven by job loss fears, with 69% worried AI could automate their role
64% believe employers have never verified workers’ AI skills – employees want more clarity

New GCheck data has uncovered an emerging ‘AI confidence gap’ in workplaces, with employees publicly stating that they have high AI competence, but behind closed doors they lack confidence in their own abilities.

Two in three (63%) workers admit to exaggerating or overstating their AI skills to project more knowledgeable appearance in the hope of being more worthy of employment or promotions.

Surprisingly, this is higher among Gen Z workers, where four in five (80%) admit to exaggerating, suggesting younger employees might be feeling the pressure to appear AI-ready more than their peers.

There’s more than one reason for the lying

“Workers are facing a new kind of career pressure where appearing AI-capable increasingly feels tied to employability and job security,” CEO Houman Akhavan said.

Only one in three (34%) workers think they could confidently perform all the AI-related skills they claim to have, and the lying extends far beyond the CV.

Many admit to speaking confidently about AI in meetings (40%) not to appear behind, letting colleagues assume they’re more skilled than they are (33%), taking credit for AI-assisted work as entirely their own (25%), volunteering for AI-related tasks they weren’t technically qualified for (18%) or admitting to directly lying about AI experience (16%).

With three-quarters (76%) saying they’re only overstating because they intend to learn those skills eventually, it’s clear that employees only see themselves as lying temporarily. A similar number (70%) also believe that others in the industry also exaggerate, normalizing the behavior.

Fear is as much to blame as other career-backed reasons

However, GCheck says workers aren’t necessarily lying to get a better job or promotion. Many are also lying out of fear, with 69% concerned AI could automate parts of their current role within two years. More than half (52%) also worry they’d appear less competitive in the event of layoffs, and 46% fear being fired if they don’t develop AI skills.

The fear is also evident in workplace behavior, with half (53%) deliberately choosing manual methods over AI and 24% dismissing AI tools as not useful, even when they helped.

“That disconnect creates risk for organizations and uncertainty for employees trying to keep pace with rapid change,” Akhavan added.

The findings also imply that managers might not be aware of the lying, with 64% of workers saying their employers have never tried to verify their AI skills. Around half (47%) of workers now call for clearer explanations about how AI is used during hiring. Additionally, around one in three (29%) say that, if their employers were transparent about skill checking, they would be more honest about their skills.

With the report hinting at a workplace where employees fear becoming obsolete, it’s clear a cultural change is required to normalize artificial intelligence adoption and to reassure workers that, with the right skills, they will continue to remain relevant.

“Automation anxiety is not just about job loss. It is reshaping behavior, distorting skill signals, and challenging the credibility of the modern workforce,” the report concludes.