Are we all AI hypocrites?

Aleks Krotoski and Kevin Fong explore a curious contradiction: why do we bristle at AI‑generated emails and writing, even while many of us quietly rely on them ourselves? What does this reveal about how we judge not only the output of these technologies, but the people who use them — while still excusing our own behaviour?

To unpack this double standard, they begin with Katrina Collier, recruitment expert and author of The Robot-Proof Recruiter and Reboot Hiring. Nowhere is this tension more visible than in the quest find a job. Applicants are increasingly turning to AI to polish and promote their CVs, frustrating hiring managers who, in turn, are often all too happy to use AI to sift through a flood of applications on their behalf.

They then hear from Michael Hallsworth, Chief Behavioural Scientist at the Behavioural Insights Team, originally the UK government’s ‘Nudge Unit’. He argues that AI disrupts one of our core measures of value: effort. When we believe something has been created with little labour, we instinctively see it as worth less. Using AI can create mixed feelings, and while we can find rationalisations to let ourselves off the hook for using it, that doesn't mean we'll excuse others.

Presenters: Aleks Krotoski and Kevin Fong
Producer: Peter McManus
Researcher: Rachael O'Neil
Sound: Fraser Jackson