New research from digital adoption expert WalkMe reveals a concerning reality about the employee experience with Artificial Intelligence (AI) at work: workers are struggling. Despite the hype and rapid advancements in AI tools, the people tasked with actually integrating and using them are facing significant challenges.
This timely research, released ahead of the AI Summit in London this week, highlights a critical oversight in the current narrative: the human element. While the summit is expected to showcase AI’s vast potential, WalkMe’s findings underscore that organisations are often failing to consider the employees who must adopt and leverage this technology day-to-day.
WalkMe surveyed 1,210 UK office workers, uncovering that almost three-quarters (71%) believe new AI tools are appearing faster than they can learn how to use them. This immediate finding points to a rapid pace of technological change that is outstripping workforce readiness.
Key Concerns Among Workers
The research delves deeper, revealing several key areas of concern for employees:
- Anxiety Over Job Impact: Nearly half of workers (47%) admit they should be excited about AI at work, but instead feel worried. This sentiment is particularly pronounced among younger generations, with 61% of Gen Z and 51% of Millennials sharing this anxiety. A significant one in three (33%) believe their job security now depends on AI, leading to increased worry, a figure that jumps to 52% for Gen Z.
- Culture of Silent Confusion: Employees are often under pressure to deliver using AI tools, yet many suffer in silence when they encounter problems. More than one in three (37%) do not feel confident asking for help, rising to 50% among Gen Z. This unspoken struggle is even leading some workers to exaggerate their AI proficiency: more than a quarter (28%) admit to overstating their AI use to get ahead at work, a figure that doubles to 52% for Gen Z.
The Path to a Better AI Future
Despite the current struggles, there is underlying optimism for the future. Almost half of workers (47%) believe AI will improve their work life by 2030, but they are calling for substantial changes first. Two key demands emerge:
- Stronger Protections: 69% of employees desire stronger AI protections from governments.
- Workplace “AI Manifesto”: Almost half (46%) believe a workplace “AI manifesto” would ease anxiety. This figure rises significantly for younger cohorts, reaching 63% of Gen Z and 57% of Millennials, indicating a strong desire for clear values, ethical guidelines, and leadership from their organisations.
“Employees – especially younger workers – feel overwhelmed, anxious, and unsupported. If businesses continue to overlook the end user, AI risks becoming a source of stress rather than a driver of productivity.”
Commenting on the findings, Vivek Behl, VP Strategy at WalkMe, emphasised the critical disconnect. “AI is dominating headlines and boardrooms, but our research reveals a stark disconnect between ambition and reality,” he stated. “Employees – especially younger workers – feel overwhelmed, anxious, and unsupported. If businesses continue to overlook the end user, AI risks becoming a source of stress rather than a driver of productivity. Human-centred adoption must now take priority.”
Behl stressed the need for organisations to gain clear visibility into actual AI tool usage to provide the necessary support. “To realise the benefits vendors are promising, organisations need clear visibility into how employees are actually using AI tools – where they’re getting stuck and what’s slowing them down,” he added. “Without that insight, leaders can’t provide the support people need to succeed. Rather than layering complexity across multiple apps, businesses should focus on delivering a seamless, unified experience. Digital adoption is no longer a ‘nice to have’ – it’s mission-critical.”
For HR professionals and business leaders, these findings serve as a crucial reminder that successful AI integration is not just about technology, but fundamentally about employee experience, support, and a clear, ethical framework.