Workers ‘larping’ by pretending to use AIOne in six admit faking use of the technology at work.By Denham Sadler on Sep 16 2025 11:59 AMPrint articleWorkers are feeling pressure to use AI at work. Photo: ShutterstockMany employees are “larping” at work by pretending to use artificial intelligence due to pressure to harness the technology, according to social scientist Nigel Dalton.Delivering the keynote speech at RMIT Online’s Future Skills Fest on Monday, Dalton, of tech consultancy Thoughtworks, described the difficult state of affairs for Australian workers of all ages when it comes to AI.He said it’s like going from a zoo to the jungle, and that many workers experience paralysis when it comes to new technologies.Dalton pointed to a recent survey that found that one in six workers were pretending to use AI at work.The survey, conducted by engineer outsourcing companyHowdy.com, found that workers felt pressured to use AI in situations they were unsure about, and that three-quarters of them were expected to use the technology at work.“AI is taking over the white-collar workspace as daily updates provide opportunities to optimise,” the report said.“However, potential does not always lead to smooth implementation.”‘Larping’ at workDalton said these workers are “larping” and not keeping pace with new technologies such as AI.“They’ve got Gemini or CoPilot open when their boss walks up behind them, and they are larping – they are live action roleplaying,” Dalton said.“This is interesting. What human behaviour did we incite here from the way we were scaffolding the work and the scene and the structure?”The use of AI by companies of all shapes and sizes has accelerated in recent years, particularly since the advent of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT.Earlier this year, Goldman Sachs became one of the largest companies tohire an AI software engineerto work alongside its human employees and complete complicated, multistep tasks.Social scientist Nigel Dalton says that in 10 years, we'll look back on this period and laugh. Photo: ShutterstockDalton likened how many workers are feeling when it comes to AI to the German chess term “zugzwang”, which means the compulsion to move even when knowing this will likely worsen your overall position.“This is very much a good description of where we feel ourselves today and in our careers,” he said.“If I do that, it’ll be the wrong thing; if I stand still it’ll be okay. But you can’t stand still. That’s why you’re feeling the dissonance in your head. But it will likely lead you to doing nothing, which is probably the worst scenario.“We’re anchored in this ridiculous period that in 10 years we will all look back on and laugh.”From a zoo to a jungleWith the growing usage of AI across all operations, businesses have become increasingly challenging to navigate for employees at all levels, particularly those who are yet to harness the technology fully.Dalton said this was like the workplace going from a zoo to a jungle.“We all used to work in a zoo – a metaphorically complicated process,” he said.“At a zoo you can take photos of wild animals but the path is concrete, there are timetables and it’s all very safe.“In a zoo, every animal stays in their cage. That is how work used to be – there weren’t any looming threats of stuff coming out of the forest.“Now we’re on a work safari, a career safari. There are no paths, no signposts, no timetables.“The animals are hiding in plain sight and collaborating, and may come from anywhere.“To navigate the jungle you need a new mindset, and it involves being comfortable with getting lost, with what it feels like to go backwards for a time.”According to Dalton, there are four key factors shaping the future of work: the climate crisis, ageing citizens, disruptive technology and declining social equity.“It’s not just these things individually, it’s them weaving in together,” he said.“It’s in these unlikely places that I believe businesses will be built, where the opportunities lie.“It’s hard to navigate now, but there are opportunities amidst all of this chaos, as there always have been in history.”Denham SadlerDenham Sadler is a freelance journalist based in Melbourne. He was previously Editor of StartupSmart, and writes on tech and politics. His work has been published inThe Saturday PaperandThe Guardian.Tags:larpingaiworkersrmit