This project examines how using generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, can affect the perceived value of hard work for users by reducing the uniqueness of their work. Studies 1 and 2 involve online experiments with working adults in which participants are randomly assigned to two conditions: writing a 200-word essay with or without the assistance of ChatGPT. The results indicate that participants using AI assistance to write their essays tend to perceive hard work as less valuable. This effect is further explained by a serial mediation process through reduced competence fulfillment and a sense of diminished uniqueness in the essay. Notably, third-party evaluators rate the AI-assisted essays as objectively superior to those composed without AI, even though the writers themselves do not subjectively differentiate them. Overall, the study's findings suggest that while AI is a valuable technological tool, its usage may diminish the value individuals place on their hard work. Consequently, organizations and educational institutions should exercise caution when incorporating AI into the work and learning processes of their employees.
