SG intern says he was ‘snubbed at work’ for not using AI, asks: ‘Is this how things work?’

SINGAPORE: A Singaporean intern says he was “snubbed” at work for not using artificial intelligence, prompting him to question whether AI has become an unwritten expectation in today’s workplace.

Posting on the r/SGExams subreddit, the intern shared that he had recently begun an internship at a global multinational company, where he was tasked with preparing documents and PowerPoint presentations for his manager.

Believing he was making good progress, he carried on with the work using his own methods. However, during a routine check on his progress, his manager reportedly questioned the way he was working.

According to the intern, the manager looked at his screen and said: “The way you do, next month also cannot finish. Do you know how to use AI?”

A colleague then reportedly encouraged him to let AI handle the task. “Just use ChatGPT and done already. Let me show you my document. See, this one written by AI (says proudly).”

Caught off guard by the interaction, the intern asked fellow users: “Can someone tell me, is this how things work?”

“It’s just a company culture”

In the discussion thread, several users thought the exchange wasn’t really a big deal.

One said, “They just asked you to use AI only; how hard can that be?”

Another wrote, “Lol, this Gen Z and their anti-AI sentiments are just going to make them even more unemployable. Fact is, if you are employed, you do what you were paid to do. And they want it fast. Not well done.”

A third added, “It’s just a company culture. Just learn and adapt to it. Nothing to do with AI or such.”

A handful of Reddit users, however, came to the intern’s defence.

One explained, “The reason why our workplace sucks is because of people like this. We have an actual sense of responsibility for our work. We recognise that we have a duty of care to ensure that we produce quality work and to take pride in it. Unlike you.” 

“If you want to churn out slop, then by all means, go ahead. You can show your slop portfolio to your future employers when your company collapses and see how they would like to hire an employee who outsourced all their thinking to ChatGPT and can’t think their way out of a box.”

In other news, a man who once enjoyed a DINK (double income, no kids)  marriage says he is feeling increasingly burnt out after his wife quit her job due to burnout, turning their two-income household into a single-income one. City& Local Guides

In a post on Reddit’s r/asksg forum on Wednesday (June 24), he shared that he and his wife had deliberately chosen not to have children so they could focus on each other and enjoy life together.

Read more: ‘Are you her husband or her dad?’: Man says single-income marriage is straining his relationship