A survey has found that some workers who use AI in their work are concerned that their colleagues may view them as "lazy" and "frauds."

While AI use is increasingly common in the workplace, some employees remain concerned that their coworkers may criticize them if they disclose their use.

On Wednesday, AI firm Anthropic and work management platform Asana released their 2024 State of AI at Work report, which surveyed 5,007 knowledge workers in the U.S. and U.K. about their views on AI adoption in the workplace. Knowledge workers are expert white-collar workers who employ analytical skills.

Over a quarter of workers surveyed expressed concern about being perceived as "lazy" if they used AI at work, while 23% feared being labeled "frauds" for doing so.

And a third said they're worried that AI will replace humans altogether.

Rebecca Hinds, head of Asana's Work Innovation Lab, stated in an interview with CNBC Make It that companies are not providing clear guidelines around AI use in the workplace.

Hinds stated that the fear of being perceived as lazy or a fraud is most significantly felt in organizational contexts where people are not empowered to use AI.

The survey shows that adoption of generative AI in the workplace has increased in both the U.S. and the U.K.

The percentage of workers in the U.S. and the U.K. who use generative AI tools weekly has increased significantly in the past nine months.

In the upcoming six months, a majority of workers in both the U.S. and U.K. anticipate increasing their use of generative AI.

The high adoption rate is mainly due to workers experiencing increased productivity, with 69% reporting higher productivity improvements.

While there is increasing interest among employees to integrate AI into their tasks, they feel that their companies are not providing adequate support.

A majority of workers, 82%, claim that their organization has not given any training on using generative AI, which may be contributing to their concerns about whether it is appropriate to use AI at work.

According to Hinds, companies must not only implement AI policies but also clarify how AI will impact workers' job responsibilities.

She stated that companies are not paying enough attention to the significance of principles, which means they are not considering not only what technology is allowed to be used but also its fundamental purpose and the value it brings to their specific work.

"What does our new role as a human alongside this new transformative technology look like? This inspires employee confidence."

The perception of AI use varies among executives and individual workers.

While 24% of executives reported that their company has a budget for generative AI tools for employees, only 9% of workers shared the same sentiment.

While over two-thirds of executives are enthusiastic about AI use in the workplace, only half of workers share this sentiment, with concerns about job displacement being the primary reason for their apprehensions.

These fears are most prevalent in companies that are just beginning to integrate AI.

"Implementing guidelines has led stage four and five companies to view AI as a teammate rather than a tool, resulting in a decrease in perceived threats in any organization," she stated.

According to Hinds, when companies offer more resources and training, workers can use AI in a more "psychologically safe" environment.