The research surveyed 2,500 knowledge workers in the U.S., UK, Canada, Germany and Spain. It follows Adaptavist’s 2025 report on the stress employees experience when companies introduce new technology without explaining why it is needed or how it should be used.

Nearly two-thirds of respondents said they regularly feel nostalgic about how work operated before widespread AI adoption. Even more surprising, Gen Z employees were the most likely to say they preferred working life before AI. So much for the assumption that younger employees will happily embrace whatever new technology comes along.

What are they missing? Part of it appears to be the value attached to experience. Almost half said they were frustrated that tasks requiring years of expertise can now be done by almost anyone using AI. Nearly one-quarter felt their expertise had become less valued.

But here’s the paradox. Employees aren’t rejecting AI. Sixty-seven percent want their companies to increase its use, and 73% acknowledge that AI makes work more efficient. They just don’t necessarily like the way it is being rolled out.

More than a third said they often don’t understand why they are expected to use AI in their jobs. The same percentage reported AI fatigue serious enough that they had cut back on using the tools. Companies can’t simply buy AI subscriptions, tell everyone to use them and expect productivity to rise.

There is also what Adaptavist calls the “verification tax.” Forty-two percent said they spend more time checking AI output than they save by using it. Anyone who uses AI regularly knows the problem. Producing something quickly is not the same as producing something you can trust. If AI creates a report or analysis in minutes, someone still has to know enough about the subject to catch what is wrong or missing.

Management can reduce that problem by starting with the work rather than the technology. Identify where AI can save time, then train employees to use it for those tasks. Don’t measure employees against the speed of a machine. Half of those surveyed said their performance was being compared directly or indirectly with AI output. AI can generate far more material than a person, but volume is not expertise.

Companies also shouldn’t be solely in charge of deciding how you use AI. Unless you work in a high-security environment, you probably have some autonomy. Experiment and look for places where AI can save you time or fill a skill gap.

My daughter, a professor at a Utah university, recently used Claude to build a spreadsheet for a complicated analysis. It saved her hours of setup and gave her more time for the analysis itself, an area where she excels. That is exactly where AI can be useful: Let it handle work that takes time but isn’t where your greatest value lies.

AI tools can also be useful for research and for building reports or presentations from your own material. The secret is to know what you want before you start. The more specific you are about the structure and final format, the better your results will be. You will also avoid endless revisions that can erase the time AI was supposed to save.

Still, some workers are thinking about getting away from AI altogether. One-third of those surveyed said they are considering changing industries because of it, and some are looking toward skilled trades or other work they believe will be less exposed to automation.

That may reduce your exposure to generative AI today, but it is not a long-term guarantee. McKinsey estimates that by 2030, activities accounting for up to 30% of hours worked in the U.S. could be automated. And manual work is not necessarily safe from AI either. As AI improves, so do the capabilities of robots that can perform physical work.

Trying to find a career untouched by AI may be the wrong goal. A better strategy is to improve your marketability within the field you already know. Learn where AI can make you faster and free up time for work that depends on your experience and judgment.

If that training isn’t happening at work, build those skills on your own. Adaptavist found that 74% of workers are already doing exactly that. The workplace before AI isn’t coming back. The better question is how much of the new one you can learn to use to your advantage.

Leslie Meredith has been writing about technology for more than a decade. As a mom of four, value, usefulness and online safety take priority. Have a question? Email Leslie at asklesliemeredith@gmail.com.