Same Gossip, Different Judgment: Why Inappropriate Workplace Gossip Is More Acceptable When It Targets AI

Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming an active member of organizational teams. Yet successful human–AI symbiosis depends on more than intelligent algorithms, trust calibration, or effective task allocation. As AI becomes a social interaction partner, organizations must also establish shared moral norms governing how artificial teammates are treated. Surprisingly, little is known about whether employees apply the same ethical standards to AI coworkers as they do to human colleagues or why these judgments differ. To address this question, we conducted two preregistered online vignette exp