Americans Want to Learn AI Skills

In the United States, most workers are not waiting around to see what happens with artificial intelligence. Instead, they are taking action right now. New research shows that three out of four American workers (76%) plan to learn new AI skills this year. Some workers want to learn these skills because they think it will help them do their current job better. Others are learning AI skills because they want to find a new, better job somewhere else. Workers understand that AI is changing how jobs work, and they want to be ready for those changes.

Workers Are Looking for New Jobs

The research also found that more than half of American workers want a new job this year. Some workers want to move to a different job at the same company, while others want to find work at a completely different company. Workers are also very honest about why they want to leave. If workers feel that their boss doesn't understand their skills and abilities, they are much more likely to look for a new job. This shows that workers want companies to know what they are good at doing.

AI Is Changing Jobs Faster Than Expected

Many workers are seeing AI start to change their jobs right now. Research shows that more than one out of three American workers (39%) expect AI to affect their job in 2026. For some workers, this means they will move to a different job inside their company. For others, it means they might lose their job completely. The office jobs and computer jobs are being changed by AI the most. Young people who just started working are especially worried because the beginner jobs they would normally do are starting to disappear.

Workers Like AI but Also Fear It

Workers have complicated feelings about AI. On the positive side, 63% of workers say they like AI because it helps them work more efficiently and get their work done faster. Many workers can see how AI helps them in their daily work. However, at the same time, 53% of workers are worried that AI might affect their job security. Workers are also concerned that AI might make their work harder in the short term while they are learning how to use it. Workers want their bosses to talk to them clearly about how AI will change their work, when the changes will happen, and how they will learn new skills.

AI Is Growing Fastest in Office Jobs

Right now, people who work in offices at desks are using AI much more than other workers. Since 2023, AI use among office workers has grown from 28% to 66%. This means that AI is becoming a normal part of work for office workers. Office jobs include things like customer service, sales, writing, data work, and managing other people. Young workers and people just starting their careers often have these types of jobs, so young workers are seeing the most changes from AI. Workers in jobs that cannot be done from home, like building and fixing things, are using AI much less often.

Companies Are Training Workers but Need to Do More

Some companies are starting to train their workers in AI skills. For example, one big technology company trained almost 80% of its workers in basic computer skills, and over 115,000 workers learned new digital skills. Another example is a bank that used AI to help their workers serve customers better. The bank used AI to handle simple, repetitive work so that workers could focus on helping customers with harder problems. This helped the bank serve customers better and workers were happier because they could do more interesting work.

However, workers say that companies need to be clearer about how AI will change jobs and what new skills workers need to learn. Workers want clear learning pathways so they know what skills to study and how to move into new job roles. Workers also want to know if they can move to different jobs inside their company as AI changes what work they do.

Young Workers Need Special Help

People worry that Gen Z workers (young people who were born after 1997) are going to have especially hard times because AI is changing the beginner jobs that they need to get experience. Traditionally, young workers started in entry-level jobs where they learned important skills and then moved up to better jobs as they got more experience. But AI is now doing some of the work that beginners used to do, which means fewer beginner jobs available. Without these beginner jobs, young workers cannot build the skills they need for better jobs later in their lives. This could mean lower pay and fewer opportunities for young workers in the future.