Employees concerned about job security, and having sufficient skills to use agentic AI
Enthusiasm for agentic AI in workplaces is strong, but uncertainties among employees are threatening the technology's adoption, according to a new report.
The findings from EY's first Agentic AI Workplace Survey of 1,100 desk workers in the United States showed that 84% of desk workers are eager to embrace agentic AI in their roles.
But most companies are "fumbling the fundamentals" with executives failing to provide "a clear vision, adequate training, or a roadmap for middle managers suddenly asked to navigate hybrid human–AI teams".
"Workers overwhelmingly expect positive impacts on productivity, efficiency, and their work experience," the report read.
However, it also found a sense of unease among employees when it comes to job security and their ability to keep up in relation to agentic AI.
According to the report, 56% are concerned about their own job security working alongside AI agents, and 51% are worried that agentic AI will make their job obsolete.
A further 61% said they felt overwhelmed by the constant influx of new agentic AI information, while 54% feel they are falling behind their peers in agentic AI use at work.
"The contradiction is clear—optimism fuels ambition, while unease threatens adoption," the report read.
Addressing agentic AI concerns
The unease emerging in the workforce should be addressed to prevent the overwhelming employee enthusiasm from morphing into resistance, according to the report.
"Organisations must articulate their complete AI roadmap, covering everything from ethical guardrails to comprehensive training, to harness employee enthusiasm and drive performance," said Dan Diasio, EY Global Consulting AI leader, in a statement.
Most desk workers (92%) in organisations with a clearly communicated agentic AI strategy report productivity gains, the findings revealed.
These companies with clearly communicated plans also reported positive outcomes in their agentic AI adoption, such as higher utilisation and familiarity rates.
"When leaders are transparent, employees lean in and performance follows," Diasio said.
Agentic AI upskilling
Additionally, employers are being urged to implement agentic AI training and upskilling initiatives to bridge employees' curiosity and capabilities with the technology.
"By taking responsibility for the learning journey, organisations not only ensure employees gain the right capabilities but also build confidence, loyalty, and alignment with strategic goals," the report stated.
More than half of the respondents (59%) also pointed out that the lack of adequate training to develop agentic AI-related skills is an organisational barrier to adoption.
"An unclear strategy also manifests itself in unclear training programmes. As the technology rapidly evolves, untrustworthy sources have rushed in with poor lessons that are potentially more risky to your people than useful," said Jonathan Sears, EY Global People Consulting and Technology Leader, in a statement.
