Key Takeaways
- U.S. employees remain cautious about AI in the workplace, particularly in hiring, performance evaluation, and career-impacting decisions.
- Most workers want human oversight alongside AI and place high value on transparency from employers.
- AI workers themselves often distrust the systems they train, citing rushed processes, inadequate guidance, and ethical concerns.
- Many workers are willing to upskill for an AI-enabled workplace, though understanding of “AI skills” is uneven.
- Experts warn that rapid AI deployment may prioritize speed and profit over safety, accuracy, and ethics.
U.S. Workers and AI: Balancing Opportunity and Caution
As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly integrated into workplaces, many U.S. employees remain wary of its impact on careers and corporate culture. According to a recent SHL survey of over 1,000 working adults, 74% of respondents said that being interviewed by AI would alter their perception of a company, with 37% viewing it as impersonal and 23% as innovative. Half of respondents prefer humans over algorithms for reviewing applications, assessing performance, and making career-related decisions (SHL, 2025).
“AI can quickly shape the perception of a company as either innovative or impersonal,” said Sara Gutierrez, SHL’s chief science officer. The survey also found that only 27% fully trust their employers to use AI responsibly, while 59% believe it may exacerbate bias. Yet, many employees recognize the need to adapt, with nearly half expressing readiness to upskill for an AI-driven workplace.
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Insights from AI Workers
Concerns are echoed by AI raters themselves, who monitor and refine AI outputs. Krista Pawloski, a worker on Amazon Mechanical Turk, reported avoiding personal AI use after witnessing errors in content moderation, advising family and friends to do the same (Bansal, 2025). Others in similar roles at companies like Google have limited AI usage at home, citing ethical concerns and inadequate training for high-stakes evaluations.
Experts argue that the distrust among AI workers signals systemic issues. Alex Mahadevan of Poynter’s MediaWise noted that speed and scalability often outweigh careful validation, raising concerns about the accuracy and safety of AI tools increasingly relied upon by the public.
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Preparing for an AI Future
Despite reservations, companies continue to expand AI adoption, with forecasts suggesting one in three firms may rely on AI for hiring by 2026 (Resume.org, 2025). Talent acquisition leaders warn that without structured upskilling, organizations risk falling behind competitors and missing growth targets. Providing clear training and transparent AI usage policies could bridge the trust gap between workers and technology.
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