From One Lie to the Next: Generative AI’s Role in Sustaining Workplace Malingering

Malingering—faking illness to avoid responsibilities or gain organizational benefits—is a common form of workplace misconduct. Although it may appear minor, such behaviour can lead to significant productivity losses for organizations. With the rise of generative AI (GenAI), malingering has become even easier, as individuals can quickly obtain realistic illness narratives on click. In this study, we argue that using GenAI for malingering deception, compared to the traditional method of manual internet searching, leads malingerers to perceive lower levels of deceptive effort and to attribute less ownership to themselves. As a result, their likelihood of engaging in malingering again increases. However, AI disclaimers can help mitigate this risk by reinforcing perceptions of effort and ownership in the deceptive act. Our findings highlight the dark side of GenAI use and offer insights into how organizations might mitigate these negative effects. © 2025 Chunyi Xian, David (Jingjun) Xu.