Worried AI might take your job? You’re not alone. With most U.S. companies now using AI in some capacity, a new survey has revealed a growing but quiet concern: Workers feeling increasingly uncertain about their job security and value in the workplace.
Survey finds 41% of young workers are sabotaging AI strategies
Recent research from enterprise startup Writer has found that while U.S. companies are making considerable efforts to integrate AI, employees remain largely skeptical. Writer surveyed 800 employees and 800 C-suite executives from various industries such as financial services, health care, pharmaceuticals, life sciences, retail and consumer goods and technology. All those surveyed were regular users of generative AI.
The survey discovered a significant gap in attitudes toward AI between C-suite executives and employees. While 75% of executives believe their company’s AI rollout over the past year has been successful, only 45% of employees agree. Some employees are so resistant to AI that they have deliberately tried to block adoption efforts: 41% of millennial and Gen Z employees admit to sabotaging their company’s AI strategy by rejecting AI tools or outputs.
73% of companies commit $1M+ to AI despite workforce anxiety
Employees’ anxieties about AI are understandable. To some, AI’s growing presence is the first step toward their roles being phased out. Even as anxiety around AI grows, businesses are doubling down on its potential to reduce costs. According to HFS Research and Globality, AI-driven autonomous sourcing can reduce operational costs by 20%, enhancing productivity and accelerating speed-to-market—key advantages for leaders managing inflationary challenges.
With 73% of companies investing at least $1 million annually in generative AI, according to Writer, businesses are embracing these tools as long-term solutions. In health care, AI chatbots are now managing appointment bookings and routine questions, reducing the availability of administrative roles. In tech, AI-driven coding platforms are streamlining repetitive programming tasks, limiting the need for full-time junior developers.
Do companies have a real AI plan? Employees aren’t convinced
Though workers worry about AI affecting job security, the survey found that 81% of employees and nearly all C-suite executives (97%) would still prefer to work at a company that uses generative AI. Many workers see AI adoption as a sign of a company’s long-term success, boosting their confidence in future security and career prospects—at least for those who can avoid being replaced.
The survey also found a divide in perceptions of AI strategy. While 89% of C-suite executives believe their companies has a solid long-term plan, only 57% of employees agree. Just 33% of employees in the survey feel their company is well-grounded in AI literacy.
AI literacy remains an ongoing challenge for many companies racing to adapt. Major organizations are now recognizing the urgent need to upskill not just executives but the entire workforce, ensuring that everyone understands how to work with AI effectively and to a reasonable standard. While AI is certainly causing “deep rifts” within companies and, in some cases, even “tearing apart” organizations (at least according to almost half of executives), Writer CEO May Habib argues that this shouldn’t overshadow the positive potential of generative AI moving forward.
“The future belongs to the enterprises that can turn AI enthusiasm into business reinvention. Generative AI holds transformative potential, but it’s also creating deep rifts within companies that are relying on a patchwork of point solutions or developing internal apps in a silo,” she said.
Closing the intelligence gap: Why AI strategies must include everyone
Writer points to a divide that goes beyond AI, exposing a deeper disconnect between leadership and employees as organizations navigate rapid technological change.
Executives see AI as a game-changer, a tool that can drive profitability and efficiency. But for workers, AI often represents uncertainty, a force that could alter their roles or make them obsolete. Many organizations choose to sidestep these concerns rather than confront them. In doing so, they inadvertently create intelligence gaps, limiting employees to AI-driven insights for routine tasks while keeping them out of strategic and big picture decision-making.
Successful AI integration requires organizations to balance innovation with investment in human capital. A workforce that feels valued and secure is essential; otherwise, even the most ambitious strategies can fall apart. For this reason, AI integration cannot be a top-down effort. Without full workforce involvement, adoption risks being incomplete, ineffective and burdened by internal struggles. Writer’s research suggests that while employees are still generally optimistic about AI, concerns arise when discussions shift to job security and trust. For most organizations, this is the more manageable of two challenges—if approached with pragmatism and honesty.
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