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What's going on up there?

How Does AI Increase Silence? [Psychological Safety Week 2026]

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AI is changing how we work. So why are people afraid to admit they're using it?

In this Psychological Safety Week bonus episode, Grace is joined by Managing Psychologist Janet Tarasofsky to explore the anxiety, uncertainty, and silence surrounding AI at work.

They examine the research behind shadow AI, social evaluative threat and technostress, and what it reveals about Talent Hushing. From job security and imposter syndrome to the pressure to keep pace, this episode unpacks why AI use has become a psychological safety issue in the workplace.


Find out more about Psychological Safety Week: https://www.psychologicalsafetyweek.com


References:


  • Microsoft UK (2025). Rise in ‘Shadow AI’ tools raising security concerns for UK organisations. Microsoft UK Stories, 13 October 2025.
  • Sawhney, G., McCord, M.A., Cunningham, A., Cook, P., Adjei, K. & Flinn, T. (2026). ‘A meta-analytic review of 60 years of role stressor research’. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 167, 104234. DOI: 10.1016/j.jvb.2026.104234.
  • Dickerson, S.S. & Kemeny, M.E. (2004). ‘Acute stressors and cortisol responses: A theoretical integration and synthesis of laboratory research’. Psychological Bulletin, 130(3), 355–391. DOI: 10.1037/0033-2909.130.3.355.
  • Liu, M., Li, Y. & Li, J. (2026). ‘The impact of generative AI use on employees’ psychological distress: A moderated mediation model’. Frontiers in Public Health, 14, 1798423. DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1798423.
  • Högemann, M., Hein, L., Britsche, J-O. & Thomas, O. (2025). ‘Technostress and generative AI in the workplace: A qualitative analysis of young professionals’. Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence, 8, 1728881. DOI: 10.3389/frai.2025.1728881.
  • Mizrak, F. & Karakaya, T. (2026). ‘Why Hide AI Use? Psychological Configurations and Explainable Machine Learning Evidence from Marketing Work’. Behavioral Sciences, 16(6), 994. DOI: 10.3390/bs16060994.
  • Kandola, B. (2025) Building a psychologically safe work environment. Routledge.
  • Morrison, E.W. (2023). ‘Employee Voice and Silence: Taking Stock a Decade Later’. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 10, 79–107. DOI: 10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-120920-054654.

A podcast exploring the psychology behind current events, daily decision-making, and the ideas that frame our thinking.

Brought to you by the expert team of chartered business psychologists at Pearn Kandola LLP.

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