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Explain it to me like I’m five: harnessing the power of explanations to increase trust in workplace generative AI

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  • Katherine Gibbard
  • Harjinder Gill
  • Deborah Powell
  • Peter A. Hausdorf

Abstract

The rise of intelligent machines is set to revolutionize the way that employees work. Organizations are investing in these technologies at unprecedented rates, and this investment will permanently reshape the world of work. As employees learn to work alongside technologies with never-before-seen capabilities, it is imperative to better understand what will enable employees to extend trust to artificial intelligence (AI). The current research investigates whether providing explanations prior to using an AI tool increases trust in intelligent workplace technologies. We leverage the ‘how’ and ‘why’ explanation paradigm, in which the ‘how’ information describes the process underlying the technology and the ‘why’ information describes the benefits of using the technology. We conducted an experiment using a simulated AI marketing application with a sample of working professionals (N = 303). We found that trust increased when participants received an explanation of ‘why’ using the technology would be beneficial. We conclude that explanations are a viable avenue to enhance trust in AI in workplace settings. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Katherine Gibbard & Harjinder Gill & Deborah Powell & Peter A. Hausdorf, 2026. "Explain it to me like I’m five: harnessing the power of explanations to increase trust in workplace generative AI," Behaviour and Information Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(1), pages 40-58, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:tbitxx:v:45:y:2026:i:1:p:40-58
    DOI: 10.1080/0144929X.2025.2506664
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