Why employees have shifted from AI fear to ‘AI fomo’
Remember when everybody was terrified AI was going to take their jobs?
Now, the workplace has moved from wariness about the latest tech to fear of missing out on AI tools that could make their work easier and more productive.
Call it “AI fomo.”
According to the career support platform LiveCareer’s Workplace Technology Survey, based on responses from more than 1,100 people, nearly 4 in 10 wish their employers made AI-powered tools more available.
“AI in the workplace isn’t just about automation, it’s about augmentation,” said David Daneshgar, CEO of Whippy AI, a platform that powers businesses with AI-based communications tools. “Employees today don’t fear AI replacing them as much as they fear being left behind if their company isn’t keeping up.”
That sentiment is echoed in AI-powered software service Freshworks’ Global AI Workplace Report, which found that nearly half of 7,000 workers surveyed believe any company not using AI is already behind the curve and likely to fail. It also found that 7 in 10 employees want to grow their individual AI skills to stay marketable, with millennials and Gen Z leading the charge.
“Employees are often encouraged to seek out higher visibility tasks and projects to land promotions and pay raises. However, this can be difficult if they’re tied down with repetitive or mundane tasks,” said Jasmine Escalera, career expert at LiveCareer. “AI can help by taking these away, allowing employees to showcase their unique strengths.”
The data supports that. Employee performance and engagement platform Betterworks’ Performance Enablement Report, which surveyed 2,100 people, reveals that about 9 in 10 daily users of generative AI say it boosts their productivity, while the same share of those surveyed report improvement in the speed, quality, accuracy and creativity of their work.
Despite the spike in employee enthusiasm, many organizations continue to struggle to implement AI effectively. The Betterworks report found that just 22% of organizations are currently using AI for strategic planning while fewer than half use it for creative work. Furthermore, one-third of employees say they don’t see how AI fits into their role, while more than one-quarter don’t know how to use it effectively.
That implementation gap is creating a real talent retention risk, according to the data. Nearly 4 in 5 AI “power users” in the Betterworks survey say they are actively looking for other jobs. “The hidden gap between AI-savvy top talent and other workers threatens to undermine organizations’ ability to compete,” the report warns.
Julia Stiglitz, CEO and co-founder of Uplimit, an AI learning platform, emphasizes the need for more training on the real benefits of the tech. “Organizations are rushing to experiment with AI technologies, but for broad-based adoption, AI needs to be solving a real problem and end users need to know how to use it,” she said. “To truly meet the needs of their workforce, companies must prioritize solutions that drive meaningful learning — learning that is practical, engaging and directly useful to the work people do every day.”
Meanwhile, Mischa Fisher, economist at the online learning platform Udemy, notes the increasing demand for verifiable AI skills. “AI proficiency is no longer a niche skill — it’s becoming as essential as computer skills were 30 years ago,” he said. “Companies are ramping up AI training because they can’t afford to wait. Automation is reshaping industries, labor shortages are increasing, and businesses need AI-driven efficiencies to stay competitive.”
Udemy’s research indicates that strategic shift is already underway across an array of sectors. In financial services, for example, AI training surged 75% in Q4 (up from 42% in Q3), while it also grew across manufacturing (50%), transportation (11%) and government (8%).
But experts emphasize that successful AI implementation requires careful planning versus rushing to plug into the latest tech tools.
“AI adoption isn’t just about keeping pace with technology — it’s about aligning innovation with business strategy to maximize impact,” said Lindsay Phillips, co-founder and COO of SkyPhi Studios, which helps companies adopt new tech. “Top to bottom, your people may want AI, but the real question is, why? To evaluate and prioritize, we need to ask: What problem are they trying to solve, how would AI help, and how does it fit into broader goals?”
Doug Dennerline, CEO of Betterworks, adds that as AI reshapes the future of work, “leaders have a unique opportunity to move beyond experimentation and low-hanging fruit — using AI for routine tasks — and drive intentional AI adoption at all levels that will further business strategy and competitiveness. The key is democratizing AI skills and fostering career mobility for all, creating an environment where innovation thrives.”