Glassdoor data reveals which occupations are most unhappy about new tools
A major new report on AI workforce sentiment finds that employee attitudes toward artificial intelligence have turned sharply negative.
The Glassdoor Economic Research report was published in August 2026 by senior economist Chris Martin. It tracked AI mentions in employer reviews from May 2025 to May 2026. Mentions surged 240 per cent year-over-year. In 2019, 81 per cent of AI-related reviews were positive. By 2026, that share had dropped to 43 per cent.
A full 53 per cent of AI comments now appeared under "cons."
For HR leaders, this shift in AI workforce sentiment points to a widening gap between how AI is being deployed and how workers are experiencing it. People analytics research on Canadian HR decision-making has consistently flagged this disconnect: data tells one story at the leadership level, while ground-level experience tells another.
Workers who viewed AI positively most often cited two conditions. Their employer was benefiting commercially from AI (44 per cent of positive comments), or was providing genuine tools, training, and support (41 per cent).
What workers are saying about AI
Critical reviews told a different story. Fear of job replacement led negative responses at 20 per cent of AI-critical comments. Others cited being forced to use AI tools (14 per cent) or concern that AI was detracting from core business functions (13 per cent).
Burnout and job insecurity were 3.7 times more common among AI-critical reviewers. References to layoffs were six times more frequent. A full 25 per cent of workers listing AI under "cons" also mentioned layoffs in the same review.
Canada-specific findings reinforce this picture. According to the KPMG Generative AI Adoption Index 2025, 83 per cent of Canadian employees say they need stronger AI skills. Yet only 48 per cent believe their employer currently provides adequate training.
Reading AI workforce sentiment as a recruitment signal
The Glassdoor findings carry a direct retention signal. Workers who viewed AI positively were 47 per cent less likely to apply for other jobs in the month following their review.
Role-level patterns give recruiting teams a more granular lens. Company leaders, sales managers, recruiters, and data analysts expressed the strongest positive AI views. Insurance claims adjusters registered 98 per cent negative AI sentiment. Writers, accountants, customer service representatives, and designers also skewed heavily critical.
In talent acquisition, speaking clearly to how AI tools are deployed – and what training looks like in practice – is becoming a hiring differentiator. Recent evidence on how AI is benefiting high-volume hiring shows it also creates new friction points for candidates.
Upskilling as the strategic response
The pattern in the data is consistent with broader workforce evidence. World Economic Forum data found that 77 per cent of businesses globally prioritised reskilling and upskilling to work alongside AI. That ranked ahead of hiring new AI-skilled staff (69 per cent) and sourcing candidates who could integrate AI into daily tasks (62 per cent).
Gen Z workers expressed the most negative AI sentiment of any cohort. Among Gen Z women, just 21 per cent of AI comments were positive, compared to 42 per cent for Gen Z men. Glassdoor researchers found occupation and industry explained none of the Gen Z gender gap. It appears rooted in how workplace AI is implemented rather than job type alone.
HR leaders building upskilling programs that treat AI training as a single-stream offering risk deepening disengagement among younger workers. Analysis of how AI is reshaping early-career roles shows the pipeline that once built future leaders is narrowing. Programs need to be equitable, accessible, and tied to specific role requirements.
