AI survey reveals job fears amid workplace enthusiasm

A recent survey conducted by the AI-based career tool Kickresume has revealed varied sentiments among employees regarding the integration of AI in the workplace, with some individuals expressing enthusiasm and others expressing apprehension.

According to the survey, which gathered responses from 1,483 employees, 21% reported either losing their job due to AI or knowing someone who has. Notwithstanding this statistic, 57% of respondents declared they "love" AI tools.

The World Economic Forum had previously indicated that 41% of employers were contemplating workforce reductions, with AI expected to replace tasks commonly performed by humans. Kickresume aimed to explore the personal impact of such developments through its survey.

Out of those surveyed, 10% knew someone who had lost their job because of AI advancements, and 11% expressed that this was a personal experience for them. Collectively, this accounts for one in five professionals observing the adverse consequences of AI on employment. However, a significant 79% did not know anyone who had been affected in this manner.

Amidst these concerns, 37% of respondents indicated a willingness to learn new AI skills to maintain relevance in their careers, while 28% considered transitioning to AI-proof careers. Some respondents, comprising 4%, acknowledged their concern about AI's influence but had not yet made any career changes. For 31%, the emergence of AI technology had no bearing on their career trajectory.

The survey highlighted generational differences in response to AI. Generation X participants were most inclined to upskill, with 43% acknowledging the necessity, while Millennials and Gen Z were each willing to switch careers to avoid AI redundancy, at 29% respectively.

Despite the potential threats AI poses, the overall sentiment towards the technology was favorable, with 57% of employees stating a favourable view. Concurrently, 23% had mixed feelings, describing a "love/hate" relationship with AI, and 9% used it out of necessity rather than preference. Notably, 7% evaluated the technology as promising yet ineffective at present.

AI adoption was marked across industries, although perceived as a "gimmick" by some sectors, notably Arts & Design and Education & Academia. These perceptions are reflective of the potential displacement by generative AI tailored to these industries' needs.

Regarding frequency of use, more than half of the respondents (51%) engaged AI tools daily, with 32% utilising them several times weekly. Only 4% claimed to never use AI resources.

Chatbots, including ChatGPT and Gemini, topped the list of popular AI tools, used by 78% of respondents, followed by writing assistants, research tools, and presentation enhancers.

The majority of respondents disclosed that their employers maintained a permissive stance on AI usage, with 46% stating their employers were indifferent to its use and 34% mentioning that its use was encouraged though optional. A smaller proportion, totalling 5%, indicated AI was strictly prohibited in their workplace.

Employees reported varying degrees of AI's influence on their work, with 35% saying the impact was greater than anticipated, contrasted with 24% who felt it aligned with their expectations. The survey further noted that 48% of workers found AI significantly eased their job responsibilities.

Concerns linger despite AI's advantages, notably reliance on technology, job displacement, misinformation, and data privacy risks. Ethical considerations and lack of oversight were also mentioned, albeit by a smaller fraction of respondents.

Peter Duris, CEO and Co-Founder of Kickresume, remarked, "We ran a new AI survey in February 2025 to follow up on our last one from 2021. Back then, we found that 39% of professionals were using some form of automation. Now that AI has gone mainstream, that number has skyrocketed—96% of the people we surveyed use AI tools at least sometimes to help with their work.

"But opinions on AI are still mixed. About 23% of respondents said they have a 'love/hate' relationship with it, and the most common reaction to its rise is to upskill and learn how to work alongside it. Nearly one in five people have either lost their jobs to AI or know someone who has, so it's no surprise that professionals are feeling the pressure to adapt. In fact, more than 60% said they've had to rethink their career or adjust how they work because of AI."