AI fears push one in three workers to quit industry

Adaptavist has published research showing that one in three knowledge workers are considering leaving their industry because of fears about artificial intelligence. The findings are based on a survey of 2,500 workers across five countries.

The report points to growing strain in office-based work as employees weigh retraining, career changes, and early retirement in response to the spread of AI tools.

According to the research, 33% of knowledge workers are actively looking to move to a different industry because of AI concerns. A quarter of those considering a change said they were looking at sectors seen as less exposed to AI, including manual work.

Younger workers were most likely to say they were thinking about leaving. The survey found that 41% of Gen Z respondents and 37% of Millennials were contemplating a career change because of AI-related anxiety.

Drivers of concern

Fear of job loss emerged as a central issue. More than half of respondents, 54%, said they were concerned AI would reduce the need for their role within the next five years, while 40% worried their current role could become entirely obsolete.

The findings also suggest concern extends beyond job numbers to the value of professional experience. Some 46% of workers said they were frustrated that tasks requiring years of specialist expertise could now be done by almost anyone using AI tools. Another 23% felt their expertise was less valued by their employer since AI became more widely adopted.

Workplace pressure also featured heavily. Nearly two in five workers, 39%, said they were struggling to keep up with the pace of change, while 48% felt overwhelmed by the volume of AI-related news and updates. That appears to be affecting use of the technology itself, with 36% saying they were actively reducing their use of AI tools because of fatigue.

Retirement plans

The report suggests some workers are not only considering career changes but also leaving the labour market earlier than planned. It found that 34% said AI had made them think about retiring earlier, while 11% intended to retire within the next 24 months.

At the same time, many respondents said they were trying to adapt rather than exit. The survey found that 74% were actively learning new skills in an effort to remain relevant in their current field.

The findings point to a difficult balance for employers. Workers appear to recognise the need to adjust to new technology, but many also say the way AI is being introduced is contributing to uncertainty and disengagement.

Adaptavist said the issue could affect not only junior staff but also more experienced employees in mid-level and senior roles. That matters for employers because those positions often carry operational knowledge, management responsibility, and continuity within teams.

The report also found that 37% of workers reported lower engagement, while a quarter were considering leaving their current roles. For companies already dealing with labour shortages in specialist functions, that could heighten concerns about retention and institutional knowledge.

Management challenge

The consultancy contrasted the findings with earlier research from The Adaptavist Group indicating that AI can improve job satisfaction when organisations provide training and support. The comparison suggests workforce reaction may depend less on the presence of AI itself than on how employers explain and deploy it.

Neal Riley, Innovation Lead at The Adaptavist Group, addressed that point in a statement accompanying the findings.

"This research shows that leaders can no longer afford to overlook the human impact of AI adoption. If introduced without clarity or support, AI risks undermining confidence in hard-earned skills and fuelling unnecessary fear about the future of work. However, when implemented thoughtfully and transparently, AI has the potential to enhance roles, not diminish them, freeing people from repetitive tasks and enabling them to focus on more meaningful, high-value work. The priority for organisations now should be ensuring employees are equipped with the right training, context, and support to adapt. This isn't about replacing people, but about designing ways of working where technology strengthens both performance and job satisfaction," said Neal Riley, Innovation Lead at The Adaptavist Group.

The survey, conducted by Attest, covered knowledge workers in the UK, US, Canada, Germany, and Spain. It found that concerns about AI now extend beyond questions of productivity and automation into decisions about whether workers remain in their profession at all.