Executives are tying AI use to promotions and layoffs
Employees who refuse to adopt artificial intelligence tools are at risk of getting passed over for promotions, or worse, getting laid off.
This is according to a new report from WRITER, which revealed how refusal to use AI tools in the workplace can be career-limiting for employees.
More than three in four C-suite respondents (77%) said they already have warned employees who refuse to become proficient with AI that they will get left behind.
"That is, they won't be considered for promotions, raises, or leadership roles," the report read.
Another 79% said they've made it clear to employees that failure to adopt AI is a career-limiting move.
Furthermore, 60% of the C-suite admitted that they plan to lay off employees who can't or won't use AI in their work.
Major AI push from the top
The findings demonstrate the lengths that the C-suite will go to in pushing for AI adoption in the workplace, where uptake has been stronger among leadership than among employees.
According to the WRITER report, only 70% of employees are already utilising AI for at least 30 minutes per day, significantly lower than the 94% of all C-suite respondents.
Data analysis and insights emerged as the top AI use case for both employees (37%) and the C-suite (54%).
Employees surpass their bosses in using AI for editing and proofreading, as well as for personalised communication, according to the report.
Addressing employee 'sabotage' of AI
CEOs' hard-line plans for AI deniers come as 76% of leaders recognise employee pushback when it comes to AI adoption.
According to the report, 29% of employees, including 44% of Gen Zs, are sabotaging their company's AI strategy in at least one way.
This includes entering proprietary information into a public tool, using non-approved AI tools, refusing to use AI tools or outputs, ignoring guidelines on AI, or opting out of training.
"A few even admit to tampering with performance metrics or intentionally generating low-quality outputs, to make AI appear less effective," the report read.
This employee "sabotage" is just one of the major challenges CEOs face with AI adoption, challenges they admit could cost them their jobs.
Other challenges that CEOs recognise include lagging ROI, strategy gaps, internal tensions, and the rise of a two-tier workplace.
The challenges are putting a lot of pressure on leadership, with 38% of CEOs reporting a high or crippling amount of stress around AI strategy.
In fact, 64% of CEOs are worried that they could lose their job if they fail to lead their organisation through the AI transition.
But May Habib, CEO & Co-founder, WRITER, cautioned employers who are planning to carry out AI-driven layoffs.
"Layoffs are not a viable AI strategy," Habib said in a statement.
"I'm on the front lines with WRITER's Fortune 500 customers, and the leaders who are putting in the work to radically redesign operations with human-agent collaboration at the centre are the ones compounding their advantage in ways competitors can't replicate. AI transformation is ultimately about people, and the future belongs to the companies putting agent-building power directly into the hands of people closest to the work."
