How C-Suite Leaders Can Address Employee AI Anxiety

A report by Dexian finds that more than two thirds of workers are concerned about the negative impacts of AI integration, with many fearing job displacement. 

The report, which surveyed 1,000 full time workers and 500 C-suite leaders, finds that employees have a lack of confidence in their organisations' AI initiatives, despite C-suite leaders' AI confidence increasing significantly from 2025. 

Dexian recommends organisations prioritise building a culture of trust within their business when deploying new technologies, as more than a quarter of employees have little to no belief in their company’s ability to deploy AI in a fair way. 

A rapid year of growth for AI development

In Dexian’s 2025 report, just 38% of leaders said their organisation was ‘very prepared’ to integrate AI and machine learning into its business operations. 

The same report one year on finds that number rising sharply to 51%, with 41% of leaders saying their workforce is ready to adopt AI at an operational level. 

Employees seem to disagree, however. Only 21% of workers completely trust their employer to handle AI automation fairly, while 27% have little to no trust. 

Teams appear to be struggling with C-suite leaders’ rapid adoption of AI, with 69% at least somewhat concerned that automation will negatively affect their job security or career prospects. 

Deploying AI innovation at scale requires inbuilt trust within an organisation, says the report, as transparent guidelines offer employees a clearer picture of how new technologies will impact their role. 

Microsoft, for instance, has taken a ‘learn it all’ approach to AI, giving employees the space to learn and grow through failure and encourage confidence in the tool. 

This helps employees better understand the role AI tools will play in their day-to-day roles, encouraging organisational trust. 

On the Hello Monday podcast, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says of the company’s approach to AI learning: “If you take two kids at school, one of them has more innate capability but is a know-it-all. The other person has less innate capability but is a learn-it-all. The learn-it-all does better than the know-it-all”.

Slowing down on AI integration

Discussing the report on CIO dive, Lydia Wilson, Chief People Office of Dexian, advises leaders: “The first thing that I would say, which nobody’s going to want to hear, is slow down”. To ensure a company-wide AI adoption effort is successful, she says companies need to “over-communicate”.  

To achieve this, the report suggests organisations pair new capabilities with updates in workforce design – with a particular emphasis on upskilling. 

The Dexian report finds 29% of employees want more investment in internal development over mobility, with 26% of those surveyed saying they would prioritise a role with better skills development opportunities compared to one in a better location. 

Over three quarters of surveyed workers also revealed that they believe it is very or extremely important for potential employers to provide training in emerging technologies. 

As upskilling for AI readiness becomes an expectation from employees, leaders must address the need for comprehensive training programs to foster both capability and confidence in AI tools. 

By making training an integrated part of the AI adoption strategy, organisations can mitigate employee anxiety and demonstrate a commitment to fair deployment, turning fear of displacement into an opportunity for growth and enhanced role value.