I Asked ChatGPT What Would Happen If Everyone Negotiated Their Salaries
Written by
Laura Beck
Edited by
Molly Sullivan
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Right now, only some people negotiate their salaries while others accept whatever offers they get. I asked ChatGPT what would happen if everyone started negotiating their pay instead of just the confident or experienced workers.
The AI called it an “interesting thought experiment” and broke down how this change would affect workplaces, the economy and society. Here’s what ChatGPT predicted would happen if salary negotiation became universal.
Pay Would Go Up Across the Board
ChatGPT started with the most obvious result: Salaries would rise overall if everyone negotiated instead of just some people.
The AI explained that right now, many people don’t negotiate, which keeps wages lower for employers. If everyone started pushing for higher pay, companies would need to budget more for payroll, raising average compensation across the economy.
This makes intuitive sense. When only aggressive negotiators get raises, companies can keep most salaries flat. But if everyone demands more money, employers would have to respond or lose their entire workforce.
The Personality Pay Gap Would Shrink
ChatGPT pointed out something interesting about current workplace dynamics — confident or experienced negotiators often get better deals than equally qualified but quieter coworkers.
The AI predicted that if negotiation became universal and expected, the gap caused by “who asks” would shrink significantly. This would create more fairness based on actual job performance rather than negotiation skills.
Right now, being naturally assertive or comfortable with confrontation gives some workers a pay advantage that has nothing to do with their actual work quality. Universal negotiation would level that playing field.
Companies Would Change Their Approaches
ChatGPT predicted that employers would adapt to universal salary negotiation by changing their hiring and compensation systems.
The AI wrote that companies might shift to transparent pay bands or non-negotiable offers to control costs and avoid favoritism. Human resource policies could become stricter to keep salaries fair and predictable.
This adaptation makes sense from a business perspective. If everyone negotiates, companies would need more systematic approaches to compensation rather than handling requests case by case.
Higher Labor Costs Might Mean Higher Prices
The AI then got into the economic ripple effects of universal salary increases. If wages across the board rise, companies might pass some costs to consumers through higher prices.
ChatGPT said inflationary pressure might result, especially in industries with thin profit margins.
Pay Structures Would Flatten Out
ChatGPT predicted something called “wage compression” would happen if everyone negotiated. Employers might stop “rewarding only the squeaky wheels” and instead give raises across teams.
The AI said pay structures could flatten, reducing extreme salary gaps within companies. This would happen because companies couldn’t afford to give everyone huge individual raises, so they’d spread increases more evenly.
This flattening effect could reduce inequality within organizations, even if it meant smaller individual gains for the best negotiators.
Worker Satisfaction Would Improve
The AI predicted positive effects on workplace morale and retention. Workers who feel valued financially are less likely to quit, and motivation could improve across organizations.
ChatGPT made an interesting point about the psychological effects — negotiating would no longer feel like an awkward fight because it would just be standard practice. This could reduce workplace tension around compensation discussions.
The AI wrote that normalizing salary negotiations could make workplaces more honest and direct about compensation rather than treating pay as a taboo topic.
Cultural Shifts Around Pay Transparency
ChatGPT predicted that universal negotiation would create broader cultural changes around how we discuss money at work.
The AI suggested negotiation would stop being a “skill gap” and just become part of the standard process. Pay secrecy might fade, leading to more open salary discussions and transparency.
This cultural shift could have effects beyond just individual paychecks. More open discussions about compensation could help identify and address systemic pay inequities.
Discrimination Could Decrease
ChatGPT predicted that if negotiation was universal and normalized, that bias could shrink. However, it did acknowledge the bias wouldn’t disappear without other systemic fixes.
The AI was realistic about this point, recognizing that making negotiation universal wouldn’t solve all workplace discrimination, but it might help level the playing field somewhat.
The Bottom Line, According to ChatGPT
The AI summarized its predictions: If everyone negotiated, salaries would rise, inequality based on negotiation ability would shrink and companies would adapt with clearer pay structures.
ChatGPT acknowledged the economy might see higher prices but predicted the workplace could become fairer and more transparent overall.
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