A new workforce confidence survey from LinkedIn has just shown that U.S. workers are divided on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace.
While half of employees believe acquiring AI skills will help advance their careers, a significant portion — 31% — remains skeptical, doubting that AI will have much impact on their jobs in the future.
Attitudes toward AI vary across age groups; younger and older workers are more likely to doubt AI’s potential impact, with 40% of Gen Zers and 36% of baby boomers expressing skepticism.
In contrast, just 29% of millennials and Gen Xers share these doubts, suggesting that mid-career workers are more optimistic about AI’s role in the workplace.
These mid-career employees are also leading the way in upskilling efforts. More millennials (54%) and Gen X workers (53%) are focused on acquiring AI skills to stay competitive, compared to just 45% of baby boomers and 39% of Gen Z workers.
This trend suggests that while younger employees may be more doubtful about AI’s immediate impact, older generations are less likely to prioritize AI learning, possibly due to concerns about adaptability or career longevity.
Overall, while AI adoption in the workplace continues to grow, it’s clear that employees’ expectations and efforts to embrace AI are heavily influenced by their career stage and generational mindset.