The study “People at Work 2025: A Global Workforce View” reveals a wide range of conflicting emotions among employees regarding the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on their workplaces. While many see positive opportunities in AI, others experience fears and uncertainty related to the risk of job loss due to AI. This technology, which is already reshaping the labor market, also poses challenges for employee retention. Currently, 30% of people who believe their jobs can be easily replaced are actively seeking new employment.
Only 9% of Polish workers expect AI to support their work, while 7% fear losing their jobs because of it. Additionally, 10% admit they have no idea how AI will affect their work in the near future. Among Polish employees, age has very little influence on opinions about AI’s impact. Just 11% of the youngest workers (aged 18-26) express optimism, while 12% fear that AI will soon displace them. Meanwhile, 13% say they do not know how AI will influence their jobs. The most secure feel those aged 55 and above — only 5% fear losing their jobs due to AI, and 9% express optimism.
In Poland, white-collar workers have the most defined views on AI’s impact — 13% expect support, but as many as 10% fear job displacement. Among skilled manual workers, 10% are optimistic, and only 6% fear being replaced by AI. Globally, white-collar workers are most optimistic about AI (an average of 24%, with a record 36% in Egypt).
“The development of artificial intelligence is not just a technological change, as much is also happening in employees’ emotions worldwide,” says Anna Barbachowska, HR Director at ADP Poland. “Some see AI as a tool for positive change, but uncertainty is an equally important emotion. Employers who recognize and address employees’ concerns by explaining AI’s impact and training them on new tools will best harness AI’s true potential and build teams ready for the future.”
Key Findings from the “People at Work 2025: Artificial Intelligence” Report
Mixed Feelings Dominate: 17% of workers worldwide strongly agree that AI will positively impact their work within the next year. However, 33% have mixed feelings about AI, and 10% strongly fear being replaced by it.
Hopes and Fears: Interestingly, countries with the most optimistic views on AI, such as Egypt and India, also have the highest percentages of workers fearing replacement. This shows that AI’s potential inspires both excitement and anxiety about its ultimate effects.
Uncertainty Equals Anxiety: 44% of respondents (agreeing or strongly agreeing) do not know how AI will affect their work. This uncertainty may contribute to anxiety, with some markets showing a high share of workers fearful of replacement alongside many who have no idea how AI will influence their future careers.
Differences by Industry and Job Type
Early Adopters Are More Optimistic: Workers in technology services, finance, insurance, and information technology are more likely to view AI positively but also more likely to fear displacement. These sectors value efficiency and competitive advantage that AI can enhance. Regional differences are significant: in Europe, only 19% of technology services workers and 18% of finance workers express hope in AI — about half the rate in the Middle East and Africa (37% and 42%, respectively).
White-Collar Workers Both Hopeful and Concerned: Programmers, scientists, and engineers are most likely to believe AI will benefit their work (24%), but they are also the most worried about being replaced (13%). They also most frequently say they do not know what the future holds (14%).
People-Focused Sectors Are More Cautious: Workers in fields highly reliant on human interaction, such as healthcare and social assistance, more often express concerns about AI’s impact on work.
Age: Workers aged 18–26 and 27–39 most frequently express both optimism (19% and 21%) and concerns (14% and 12%) about AI’s long-term effects on their careers. Those with longer careers (+55) most often believe AI will have little impact before they retire (5%). In Poland, however, age has little influence on AI optimism. Only 11% of the youngest and 9% overall expect AI to support their work. Pre-retirement age workers are least fearful of being replaced (5%).
Region: Middle East and African countries have the highest percentage convinced AI will positively impact their work (27%), and Europe the lowest (11%). Latin America is also optimistic (19%), while North America (13%) and the Asia-Pacific region (16%) fall in the middle. In Poland, only 9% expect AI support — a poor result compared to Egypt and India (36% and 34%). The lowest hopes are in Japan and Sweden (4% and 6%).
Stress Related to AI Spurs Job Searching: Workers fearing job displacement by AI are twice as likely to report high stress at work. The fear of replacement motivates active job searching (over 30%) compared to 16% among those not worried.
Methodology of the “People at Work 2025” Reports
The “People at Work” report is based on the comprehensive Global Workforce Survey conducted by the ADP Research team. This annual survey, running since 2015, is designed to represent the labor market from employees’ perspectives, providing insights that help reshape work environments through better understanding employee sentiments and expectations.
Using survey data collected from nearly 38,000 working adults across 34 markets on six continents, the “People at Work 2025” report offers a representative picture of the global workforce, allowing comparisons of employee sentiments across countries and regions. Respondents come from diverse industries, educational backgrounds, and work arrangements (onsite or remote) and include employees from organizations of all sizes—from small businesses to corporations—and all hierarchical levels, including individual entrepreneurs.
A unique feature of the “People at Work 2025” reports is the detailed measurement of employee sentiment using proprietary ADP Research methodology. In addition to demographic data, respondents are classified by job type—knowledge-based, skilled, or repetitive cyclical work—regardless of industry. This multidimensional insight provides an accurate and detailed picture, combining global trends with market-specific observations, covering topics from AI and inflation impacts to wage trends and career development.
