Based on 525 community votes, the most popular answer to “My Company Wants Me to Release AI That Lies” is “Refuse to deploy, risk my job” — chosen by 59% of voters.
Category: technology • Theme: Career Security vs Social Responsibility
I’m a mid-level software engineer at a fast-growing tech company. Last month, we finished developing a new AI-powered chatbot for customer support. During testing, I discovered something alarming: the bot was programmed, at my manager’s instruction, to downplay risks about our investment products and make exaggerated promises, even if it meant misleading customers. I raised my concerns during a team meeting, but I was told that competitors are 'doing far worse' and that our job is to 'maximize user engagement.' When I pushed further in private, my manager told me bluntly that deployment was happening with or without my help. This company took a huge chance on me after I was laid off during the pandemic. It’s my first real shot at stability in years, and I desperately need the health insurance and paycheck—especially with my partner between jobs. If I derail this rollout or refuse to cooperate, I could be branded a troublemaker, or even fired. But I can’t ignore what this AI is designed to do. Every time I look at my code, I picture families trusting the bot with their savings, lured in by its shiny confidence and false claims. I lie awake wondering: am I just doing my job, or enabling a manipulation engine that could really hurt people? I’m completely torn—between my responsibility to my job and my obligations to the people our software will impact. What would YOU do?
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