Psychology Today · September 20, 2026 · On the brief until October 4, 2026

3 Reasons Some People Are Ashamed to Admit They Use AI

PsychologyHigher EducationCommunications

THE AI ANGLE

Assisting with coding and brainstorming while provoking user shame and identity anxiety

Psychologist Jeffrey Bernstein reports that clients and professionals frequently conceal their use of generative AI out of shame and fear of being socially judged. Users worry that relying on AI invalidates the authenticity of their achievements and threatens valued personal identities, such as being a skilled writer or coder. For educators, this highlights that student resistance or dishonesty regarding AI often stems from psychological anxieties over self-worth, authenticity, and fear of peer criticism.

Summary written by AI Business Lens with an AI model from the article at psychologytoday.com. It is not the article, and the publisher has not reviewed it. For publishers.

THE TEACHING ANGLE

Instructors can explore the psychological and communicative tension between collaboration and authorship by debating whether using AI tools functions like working with a traditional editor or scribe, or if it diminishes personal ownership of an idea.

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3 Reasons Some People Are Ashamed to Admit They Use AI

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