Workers Worldwide Express Deep Concerns About AI Job Threats

As artificial intelligence continues to change workplaces around the world, employees are increasingly worried about their futures. New research released this week shows that 60% of workers believe AI will eliminate more jobs than it creates in the coming year. This number is alarming because it shows how many people think AI poses a real danger to employment opportunities. The concern is not just among a small group—it spans across different industries and job levels. What makes this even more serious is that 51% of workers are worried about losing their jobs to AI in 2026, including 10% who are extremely worried. One out of every five workers says they know someone personally who already lost a job to AI in the past year. This means the impact is becoming real for many families, not just something people read about in the news.

The Gap Between What Companies Promise and What Employees Experience

One of the biggest problems companies are facing right now is something experts call culture dissonance, which is a fancy way of saying the workplace doesn't feel like what the company promised. Many organizations expect employees to work harder, work longer hours, and produce more results—but without offering more money, flexibility, or benefits in return. This is creating a situation where disengaged employees stay in their jobs but feel unhappy and unmotivated, which can actually hurt the company's reputation. About 73% of workers say they want higher salaries as their most important goal for the year, but many aren't getting them. This disconnect between what workers want and what companies are offering is creating stress and frustration across industries.

AI Is Saving Time, But Training Is Not Keeping Up

Interestingly, research shows that workers who use AI tools at their jobs are saving significant amounts of time each day. This extra time could be used for more important work that requires thinking and creativity. However, there's a big problem: most companies aren't giving workers the training they need to use AI properly and safely. According to new findings, while 66% of company leaders say training is important, only 37% of employees who are actually using AI say they're getting the training they need. This gap means companies are talking about training but not actually providing it. The research also found that in 89% of organizations, fewer than half of the job descriptions have been updated to explain how AI fits into the work. In other words, employees are using brand new AI tools but their jobs are still described like they were from 2015. This mismatch creates confusion and makes it harder for workers to do their jobs well.

How Fast AI Is Spreading Through Different Jobs

Research released this week shows that AI is changing the workforce much faster than experts predicted just a few years ago. The average job today is 39% exposed to AI, which is about 30% more than what experts thought would happen by 2032. This means AI could eventually be able to handle about $4.5 trillion worth of work tasks in the United States alone. The report also found that AI now impacts potentially 93% of all jobs in some way. Some jobs, like customer service and data entry, are being changed the most. New job opportunities are appearing too, like jobs focused on making sure AI works correctly and helping humans work together with AI. However, many workers don't have the skills needed for these new jobs, and that's creating a problem for both employees and employers.

What Experts Predict for Job Numbers Over the Next Few Years

Experts have different opinions about how many jobs AI might eliminate. According to one major research group, 6% of jobs in the United States might be lost by 2030 due to AI and automation, which would equal about 10.4 million jobs. This sounds like a lot, but it's more modest than some other predictions. Other experts warn that AI could eliminate 50% of entry-level white-collar jobs within the next five years. Entry-level jobs are the ones that new college graduates usually start with. The World Economic Forum predicted that 83 million jobs would be lost by 2027, but 69 million would be created, leaving a net loss of 14 million jobs. However, some experts point out that the job market weakening started before AI became popular, suggesting that other factors like the economy are also playing a role. Importantly, some research suggests that more than half of AI-related layoffs might be reversed as companies realize it's harder to replace workers than they thought.

The Urgent Need for Skills Training and Learning

With all these changes happening, experts agree that training and learning are critical for workers to survive in the new AI-driven world. Research shows that organizations seeing the best results are those that help workers learn new skills. Employees with access to training are far more likely to use their saved time for important work like making better decisions and thinking strategically, rather than just doing more tasks. However, a concerning finding shows that over half of workers report getting no recent training or mentorship, which suggests many companies aren't preparing their workers for the future. The data also reveals that while 45% of workers now use AI regularly at work, their confidence in using it has actually dropped by 18%, showing that access to technology isn't enough without proper training and support. This gap between technology availability and worker readiness is something companies need to fix quickly if they want their employees to succeed in the AI era.