Feature7 Ways Leaders Can Address AI Anxiety at Work

This past winter, a project manager at a mid-size marketing firm found out her company would soon be using AI to automate reporting tasks. No one said much. Just a calendar invite titled “AI integration kickoff.” The meetings started, her workload didn’t change and yet something else did: a kind of low-frequency panic began to buzz under the surface. She wasn’t sure if her role would be redefined or quietly made redundant. It was the ambiguity that gnawed.

Weeks passed. Then came the training. A few honest conversations with leadership. Slowly, the fog lifted. What had looked like a trapdoor started to resemble a path forward. The tool wasn’t there to erase her. It was there to amplify something. What exactly, she was still figuring out.

AI is reshaping how employees engage with their work, their teams and their future. More than 70% of US professionals report concern about AI disrupting their roles. Another study found that over half of workers fear outright replacement. The problem is not just the technology. It is the silence around it, the missing context, the decisions made behind closed doors.

Leaders can meet this moment with transparency and care. Here are seven ways to do that.

1. Communicate AI Initiatives Clearly

"[AI is] hitting during what I call the Great Exhaustion — following the pandemic, economic uncertainty and widespread clinical burnout. Anxiety is high.

—  Joyce Marter

America’s Workplace Therapist

When companies take the time to explain how AI will be used and why, they open the door to understanding. And with understanding often comes a sense of safety.

Joyce Marter, a licensed psychotherapist sometimes called “America’s Workplace Therapist,” said the timing of AI’s rise is compounding existing stress. “It’s hitting during what I call the Great Exhaustion — following the pandemic, economic uncertainty and widespread clinical burnout. Anxiety is high. It’s crucial for leaders to be transparent about their plans and to include employees in those conversations. That empowers people and supports their mental health.”

Managers can meet that moment with specifics. What does the new tool actually do? How will it shape the workday? Which roles will interact with it most, and how will expectations evolve? Clear answers build trust.

To reinforce that understanding, leaders can use communication practices like:

• Surveys to gather honest reactions while change is still unfolding
• Town halls to offer alignment and shared context in real time
• Team-based conversations that bring relevance to each group
• Designated AI liaisons who keep updates moving and conversations open

These tools provide the knowledge and connection that teams need to stay engaged, fully informed and actively involved.

2. Provide Opportunities for Upskilling and Co-Creation

Employees build confidence when they can see how AI fits into their day-to-day work. They build even more when they get to help shape how it’s used. Training helps, too, and it works best when it’s practical — not abstract theory, but the kind of knowledge that makes AI less mysterious. That could mean:

• Workshops on prompt writing to give people real inputs and real results
• Intro sessions on machine learning to demystify the core mechanics
• Pilot programs that let teams test use cases before they’re rolled out
• Internal co-creation labs where employees pitch ideas and shape adoption

According to a recent survey by Microsoft and LinkedIn, 76% of professionals are eager to build AI-related skills when supported with training and clear learning paths.

Simulation labs, peer-led sessions and reverse mentoring programs all work toward the same goal. They help employees move from curiosity to capability and from capability to confidence.

3. Make Dialogue a Routine and Inclusive Practice

“While it is very important how managers speak to and inform employees about the uses of AI they are adopting, listening to employees and truly hearing their concerns and responding fully to their questions is at least as important. 

— Dr. Jodi Halpern

Professor, University of California, Berkeley

Two-way communication gives teams something solid to hold onto. It helps people feel supported, aligned and included in what’s unfolding. And listening matters just as much as talking.

Dr. Jodi Halpern, professor of bioethics and medical humanities at the University of California, Berkeley, draws a parallel from healthcare: “While it is very important how managers speak to and inform employees about the uses of AI they are adopting, listening to employees and truly hearing their concerns and responding fully to their questions is at least as important. Our research on how doctors communicate difficult medical information with patients who are understandably anxious repeatedly shows that at least as important as what doctors say is their empathic listening and encouraging patients to ask difficult questions. This builds trust and collaboration.”

Leaders can make space for that kind of honest input through:

• Recurring forums where people can ask questions and share reactions
• Anonymous feedback tools that lower the barrier to speak up
• Team retrospectives that surface what is working and what needs adjustment

Inclusive dialogue brings in the full picture. Employees in support roles, those newer to digital tools and people from historically excluded groups all notice different things. When they have a voice, the rollout gets smarter and the culture gets stronger.

4. Keep Humans Involved in AI Decisions

Confidence grows when people understand the system they’re part of. How it works. What decisions are automated. Where human input shapes the outcome.

When managers explain what the AI does, what data it draws from and where people stay involved, teams gain more than just technical context. They gain insight. Human oversight becomes the architecture of fairness. It adds transparency. It keeps accountability in view.

Clarity about roles, review points and decision flows builds trust. Employees who see where their contributions land feel more secure and more valued.

Louis Tay, professor of industrial-organizational psychology at Purdue University, brings this into focus: “To my mind, the heart of the issue for organizations isn’t just how AI can make us more efficient, as important as that is, but how it can enable employees to experience greater mastery in their work, deeper human connection and even the space for rest,” he said. “It is vital to recognize that AI tools are meant to serve purposes beyond productivity.”

For many, work is an extension of identity. It reflects purpose and agency. When human judgment is part of the system, that sense of purpose holds firm.

“There are things AI will never replace,” Marter added. “Human-centered, ethical work that depends on emotional intelligence and self-awareness. Those are the skills that keep teams grounded and connected, especially during big transitions.”

5. Make AI Adoption Inclusive

Inclusive adoption happens when every employee has access to the right tools, training and opportunities to engage with AI in a way that feels useful and relevant.

You can build that foundation with:

• Plain-language onboarding and documentation to reduce jargon and make the tech feel approachable
• Flexible training formats, including live sessions, self-paced modules and video walkthroughs
• Interactive forums where people are encouraged to ask questions and explore use cases together

Mentorship also moves adoption forward. Pairing experienced users with colleagues who are still learning sparks informal exchanges — quick demos, co-created prompts, shared tips — that turn curiosity into confidence.

A recent study found that only 31% of workers receive AI training from their employer, while 56% report low confidence in using AI at work. Gender gaps also persist. Women are 25% less likely to report basic digital skills and 20% less likely to use tools like ChatGPT, even in similar roles.

By opening up access, teams create shared understanding. That alignment gives adoption its shape and pace.

6. Help Managers Navigate Uncertainty

Managers determine how change is received. Their words in a one-on-one can shift energy. Their tone in a team meeting shapes momentum. When uncertainty rises, these moments matter most.

Their consistency influences how teams respond to new tools. Clear communication keeps people engaged, so training must go beyond technical tutorials. It needs:

• Language that explains what the AI does and why it matters
• Context that ties the tech to everyday workflows
• Emotional awareness to support teammates who feel unsure

Building in low-pressure ways to experiment with AI reflects that guidance. Managers who model curiosity help their teams feel safe trying new things.

7. Share Success Stories

People connect to momentum. To someone down the hall, or on another continent, who figured out a smarter way to work. When teams hear what’s working, it sparks something: a bit of curiosity, a little courage, maybe even a next step.

Highlight real examples:

• A support rep who uses AI to summarize calls and free up time for follow-ups
• A recruiter who builds richer candidate pipelines by spotting patterns in past hires
• A product manager who surfaces trends and brings them into sprint planning

Make it easy to tell these stories. Provide a simple prompt: What was the task? How was AI used? What happened next?

Simpler Media Group

Then share them. In a newsletter. In a Slack thread. At the start of a team meeting. These stories do more than inform. They model what’s possible and build a culture that moves forward together.

What Leaders Can Do Now

AI is already woven into daily workflows. It writes drafts, parses data, screens resumes and quietly shapes decisions behind the scenes. What matters is whether people feel prepared, included and supported as it happens.

Leaders shape that experience with small, consistent choices. A direct conversation. A practical training. A feedback loop that leads to action. Each step builds momentum.

Start here:

• Talk early and talk often. Give people something real to hold onto.
• Bring teams into the process. Design with them at the table.
• Support managers. Give them the tools to lead with confidence.
• Share what’s working. Small wins create shared belief.

AI adoption reshapes tools, relationships and the meaning of work itself. The way leaders show up now, through habits, choices and conversations, defines how teams grow their confidence and momentum.