Firing an Employee for Using AI
Scenario:
I discovered that one of my employees used AI to complete their work, instead of doing it themselves! I don’t trust AI and I don’t like that my employee used it. Can I fire an employee for using AI to complete their work? Can I get in trouble for firing an employee for using AI?
Answer:
Do you have a written policy stating your business’ stance on the use of AI? Have you communicated your written policy to your employees and obtained an acknowledgement from your employees indicating their understanding of the policy?
If so, you may be within your rights to make an employment decision.
If not, you may want to consider whether or not you should terminate employment with the individual because they did not know your business prohibits the use of AI. Using AI does have it’s advantages, but there are also cons to using it.
You may be considering the risks to your business if an employee is using AI to complete their work:
Is the information accurate?
Is there any way to know if the content is plagiarized?
Did your employee include confidential information about your Company, like trade secrets when using AI?
Does the employee’s use of AI put your company at risk for a lawsuit?
There are currently no laws restricting AI usage. It is highly recommended that your business have an AI policy in your handbook that clearly explains what employees can and cannot use AI for, if at all on the job, and include information about consequences for violating the policy.
Vida HR’s Knowledge Center has several AI Usage policies available for employer consideration and use: