Nearly two-thirds of knowledge workers now regularly experience nostalgia for their jobs before artificial intelligence became widespread, according to a new survey from Adaptavist covering 2,500 employees. The report points to what it calls a "change management failure" as IT departments roll out generative AI tools across companies. Despite three years of access to these technologies, workers report feeling swamped by the burden of mastering new systems while juggling their existing responsibilities, and nearly half say management has ignored their worries about the shift.
The survey reveals sharp generational divides in how employees view AI at work. Gen Z workers are 16 percentage points more likely to long for the pre-AI era compared to Gen X colleagues, with 42% of younger staff expressing nostalgia versus 26% of older workers. More than half of all respondents worry AI could make their positions unnecessary within five years. Job security fears vary widely by seniority: junior staff and C-level executives show the highest anxiety at 23% and 29% respectively, while mid-level and senior employees register much lower concern at 13% and 12%. The report also finds that 47% of C-suite leaders and 36% of directors are considering switching industries, changing careers entirely, or leaving the workforce due to fears of AI displacement.
One-third of workers now suffer from "AI fatigue," which translates to reduced use of AI tools and active pushback against incorporating them into daily workflows, the report states. Another 36% say they're unclear about what's expected of them regarding AI use in their positions. The survey documents concrete productivity penalties: 42% of respondents spend more time checking AI output than they save by using it, while 52% regularly fix AI-generated work produced by coworkers. Nearly half say AI-generated content makes their work feel more repetitive and less meaningful, and 55% report that AI-created materials hurt overall team productivity. Half of all workers believe their performance is now measured against AI output either directly or indirectly, and 46% say their concerns about AI have received no response from leadership.
The report argues the problem isn't resistance to technology itself. Sixty-seven percent of workers want their companies to expand AI use, and 69% believe their organizations deploy AI ethically. What's missing is a clear roadmap, guidance, and training to help them understand how to use AI effectively and appropriately at work, the authors write. The disconnect stems from rushed implementation without proper transparency or instruction, which creates confusion and hidden costs rather than efficiency gains. Jobin Kuruvilla, field CTO at Adaptavist, emphasizes that transparency is essential to drive genuine AI engagement, requiring companies to set clear boundaries and maintain open conversations about AI use. The report recommends that IT leaders and executives focus on change management fundamentals, automating mundane tasks that drain energy so employees can redirect their attention to creative, high-value work that transforms AI from a source of exhaustion into a tool for meaningful accomplishment. The underlying tension reflects a workforce eager to adapt—74% are actively learning new skills to remain relevant, rising to 85% among C-level leaders—but left without the institutional support to do so successfully. Companies that fail to address these implementation gaps risk turning a promising technology into a source of burnout and disengagement, undermining the very productivity gains AI was meant to deliver.