AI Anxiety Makes People Change Career Plans in 2026

Nearly 1 in 4 workers feel they are losing skills due to AI. This anxiety is making people rethink their careers and learn new skills.
By Newsroom | Technology, Careers |

Artificial intelligence (AI) is causing significant worry about future jobs, leading many people to change their career ambitions. This concern is not just about job loss but also about changing work processes and the need to learn new skills. The fear stems from the rapid pace of AI development and its integration into various industries, creating a sense of the unknown.

  • Innovation, while driving progress, also causes stress by demanding swift adaptation to new technologies.

  • This anxiety is prompting a reevaluation of career paths, especially among college students and current workers.

AI's Growing Presence in Workplaces

AI tools are increasingly being adopted to streamline tasks and improve efficiency. However, this integration is not always straightforward.

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  • Streamlining Workflows: Companies are rolling out AI to make work faster. One individual lost a data entry job and suspected AI was a factor, even though it wasn't explicitly stated as the reason.

  • Impact on Quality: Concerns have been raised about AI affecting the quality of work. In one instance, the quality of animation reportedly suffered as colleagues relied more on AI tools.

  • Worker Adoption: Many workers are using AI tools to save time. Some adopt tools that help them, while others push back if the tools are seen to reduce quality or harm client relationships.

  • Partial Automation: For many roles, AI might speed up some parts of the job while leaving others unchanged.

Shifting Career Decisions

The awareness and growing use of AI are directly influencing career choices, particularly for younger individuals and those concerned about future job security.

  • Student Major Changes: Some students are altering their planned college majors due to AI anxiety. One person switched from a planned major to nursing school after losing a job where AI was being implemented.

  • Skill Development Focus: There is a noticeable surge in workers wanting to learn new skills to stay relevant. AI, machine learning, and prompting are identified as key technical skills needed for career advancement.

  • Distinguishing from AI: Workers may be motivated to upskill to set themselves apart from peers as an AI skills gap emerges in the workforce.

Psychological Impact of AI Integration

Beyond practical career changes, AI's integration into the workplace is having a psychological effect on employees, creating anxiety and influencing behavior.

  • Fear of Skill Degradation: A significant number of workers feel they are losing abilities they once possessed. Around one in four report this, with 21% noticing struggles with tasks they previously handled easily due to AI's involvement.

  • Increased Reliance: Nearly half of workers indicate they are becoming more dependent on AI in all aspects of life, with 14% already fully relying on it for their jobs.

  • Hidden AI Use: Nearly one in five workers admit to hiding their use of AI from colleagues.

  • Judgment and Hypocrisy: A notable 37% of workers judge colleagues who rely on AI, even if they themselves are doing the same.

  • Employer Strategy Concerns: Almost one in five workers believe their employer's AI strategy is not sustainable, and 19% worry about losing their jobs because of it.

Reframing AI Anxiety as Organizational Intelligence

Some perspectives suggest that AI anxiety, rather than being a hindrance, can be viewed as valuable feedback on how organizations are adapting to new technologies.

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  • Existential Difference: AI anxiety is seen as distinct from typical resistance to change because AI feels fundamentally different.

  • Valuable Data: It is argued that anxiety can provide crucial data about what teams need to successfully adopt new technology.

  • Capability Expansion: Leaders who present AI as a way to expand capabilities, rather than solely as a cost-reduction measure, tend to elicit different responses from their teams.

Evidence and Observations

  • A data entry worker lost his job and changed his college major, suspecting AI's role, though his employer did not confirm this.

  • A former animation worker observed a decline in quality as colleagues adopted AI tools, and later worried about his job when AI was rolled out more broadly in his company.

  • Surveys indicate a significant portion of the workforce hides AI use, fears losing skills, and judges others for using AI.

  • Data suggests a surge in workers seeking to upskill, with AI-related skills topping the list.

Sources:

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why are people changing their career plans because of AI?
People are worried that AI will take their jobs or change how they work. This fear makes them want to find different jobs or learn new skills to stay safe in their careers.
Q: How is AI changing jobs right now?
Companies are using AI to do tasks faster. Some jobs, like data entry, might be reduced. Some workers worry AI makes work quality worse, while others use AI to save time.
Q: What new skills are people learning because of AI?
Many people want to learn skills like AI, machine learning, and how to use AI tools better. They are doing this to keep their jobs or get better jobs in the future.
Q: Are people hiding their use of AI at work?
Yes, many workers hide using AI from their friends at work. Some people also judge others for using AI, even if they use it themselves.
Q: What can leaders do about AI anxiety?
Leaders can help by showing how AI can help people do their jobs better, not just how it can save money. This can make people feel less worried about AI changing their work.
Q: What did a survey find about AI and skills?
A survey showed that many workers feel they are losing skills they used to have because of AI. About 21% find it harder to do tasks they did easily before.