Our workplaces are undergoing the next technological revolution, brought on by the warp-speed growth of artificial intelligence (AI). Generative AI is a total game changer for how we work. One day, we’ll look back and wonder how we did our jobs without this technology.

But not today. Many of us are still living firmly in the discovery period of AI at work, and we’re dealing with a big dichotomy.  Employees are incredibly curious about how to use AI to make their jobs easier and accelerate their growth, but very few people feel like they know how to do that.

The results of a recent Wiley survey of around 2,000 individuals across a range of job roles and industries make this clear. The large majority—76%—of our respondents reported that they lack confidence in how to use AI at work.

A recent Gallup survey reported similar findings, with only 6% of employees saying they feel very comfortable using AI in their roles, while about one-third say they feel very uncomfortable.

Employees are stressed out about AI

This transition is stressful; virtually all (96%) of those Wiley surveyed said they are experiencing some degree of stress about change at work.  More than half reported at least moderate levels of anxiety as they navigate the complexities of AI adoption. This is completely natural for a change of this magnitude. Applications of AI generate emotions around job security and a general fear of this new unknown.

Employees will often turn to their supervisor for guidance during times of change at work. But while the majority of respondents in our survey said that their manager is supportive of their efforts to integrate AI, only 34% of managers themselves reported feeling equipped when it comes to incorporating AI at work. This ends up causing more stress and worry for both managers and employees as a result.   

Getting past emotional barriers

AI isn’t going anywhere. To be successful at work, we all need to get past emotional barriers and embrace AI.  And it’s not merely just about staying current with industry trends. It’s about making jobs easier so that companies can compete in their industry and colleagues can accelerate their careers. Failure to drive access and adoption of AI technology can easily cause companies to lose their competitive edge in the marketplace.