AI adoption changes how employees see their job security in three ways: it raises anxiety among staff whose tasks AI can perform, it shifts skill demands towards creativity and complex problem-solving, and it creates ethical concerns about AI making decisions on hiring and performance. I was interviewed by Webuters on exactly this question; here is my full answer.
I was interviewed by Webuters on the question, “Does Artificial Intelligence induces anxiety and shifts in skills and requirements?”
How does AI adoption affect how employees feel about their jobs?
The increasing adoption of AI in business environments has a significant impact on employee perceptions of job security and potential technology-related job displacement. There are a few areas which are the most affected:
1) Heightened anxiety and uncertainty: Many employees feel anxious about the potential for AI to replace their jobs, leading to increased stress and job insecurity. This is very relevant for older employees whose tasks can be performed by an AI with no possibility for error and who are not willing to reskill themselves.
2) Shifting skill requirements: Younger employees recognise the need to adapt and acquire new skills to remain relevant. They place an emphasis on developing AI-complementary skills. In the future, tasks that require human creativity, emotional intelligence, and complex problem-solving will be in the highest demand.
3) Ethical concerns: Many employees worry about the ethical implications of AI decision-making in areas like hiring, performance evaluation, and resource allocation, which can affect their sense of fairness and job security. There are also extreme concerns when AI is used in healthcare. Who is liable, and can we afford for it to make any mistakes?
There are many more aspects to this issue, and this discussion is heating up as people realise that the benefits they have reaped from using AI in their jobs, so their work is not as difficult, will also be the reason why they will struggle to keep their existing jobs.
Frequently asked questions
Does AI adoption really make employees anxious?
Yes. Many employees feel genuine anxiety about AI replacing their jobs, leading to increased stress and a sense of insecurity. It is felt most acutely by employees whose tasks an AI can perform reliably and who are reluctant to reskill.
Which skills become more valuable as AI takes over routine tasks?
The human ones. As AI absorbs routine and repeatable work, demand rises for creativity, emotional intelligence and complex problem-solving. Younger employees in particular recognise the need to acquire AI-complementary skills to stay relevant.
What ethical concerns do employees have about AI at work?
Chiefly fairness in decision-making. Employees worry about AI influencing hiring, performance evaluation and resource allocation, which touches their sense of fairness and job security. Concerns are sharpest in high-stakes settings like healthcare, where liability and the cost of error are serious questions.
Why is it a paradox that AI both helps and threatens the same employees?
Because the very thing that makes work easier is also what puts the job at risk. The efficiency employees gain from using AI is the same capability that lets an organisation question whether the role is still needed, which is why the discussion is intensifying.
Thomas Anglero is a Strategic AI Advisor, keynote speaker and author of Intro to Artificial Intelligence. He has delivered over 450 keynotes across 30 countries for organisations including IBM, the WHO, the World Government Summit and the European Commission. He founded the IBM Watson AI Lab for Cancer at the Oslo Cancer Cluster and closed over $500 million in enterprise transformation deals as CTO and Chief Innovation Officer at Cognizant.