Last week, I ran a workshop for a mid-sized professional services firm. Before I could start my prepared material on AI productivity, a senior consultant raised her hand: “I need to know—are we being trained on the tools that will replace us?”

The room went silent. Twenty people held their breath waiting for my answer.

This happens in almost every AI session I run. The anxiety is real, widespread, and often suppressed because people don’t feel safe voicing it. If you’re leading teams through AI adoption, you need to address this anxiety directly. Ignoring it doesn’t make it go away—it just makes people less likely to engage.

Understanding the Fear

The anxiety about AI automation isn’t irrational. It’s based on real observations:

• High-profile companies have announced layoffs attributed to AI
• Tasks that seemed uniquely human are now being automated
• The technology is improving faster than anyone predicted
• Historical patterns of technological unemployment feel relevant

Research from AHRI (Australian HR Institute) consistently shows that employee concerns about job security correlate strongly with resistance to technology adoption.

When employees express concern about AI, they’re not being Luddites. They’re responding reasonably to uncertainty about their livelihoods.

Understanding this helps you respond appropriately. You’re not dealing with change resistance that needs to be overcome. You’re dealing with legitimate human concerns that deserve honest engagement.

What Not to Say

Before addressing what helps, let me cover what doesn’t.

“AI will create more jobs than it destroys.” This may be true in aggregate, but it’s cold comfort to someone worried about their specific job. Even if the economy gains jobs overall, individuals can still lose theirs.

“Your job is safe.” Unless you can guarantee this, don’t say it. Broken promises destroy trust faster than honest uncertainty.

“AI is just a tool.” This minimises legitimate concerns. Tools can absolutely eliminate jobs. The question isn’t whether AI is “just” a tool but what tasks it will absorb.

“Focus on skills AI can’t replicate.” This is actually good advice, but it’s unhelpful without specificity. Vague reassurances about “human skills” don’t address concrete concerns.

Silence. The worst response is no response. If leadership isn’t talking about AI and employment, employees assume the worst and fill the vacuum with speculation.

Having the Honest Conversation

Here’s how I approach these conversations when consulting with organisations.

Acknowledge the Uncertainty

Start by admitting what you don’t know. The honest truth is that no one can predict exactly how AI will reshape specific roles over the next five or ten years.

“I can’t promise that every role will look exactly the same in three years. What I can tell you is what we know today and how we’re thinking about it.”

This builds more trust than false certainty.

Share What You Do Know

Be specific about current plans. If there are no imminent workforce reductions, say so clearly. If there are, people deserve to know rather than find out through rumours.

“Right now, we’re implementing AI to help the team work more efficiently. We don’t have any plans to reduce headcount. If that changes, you’ll hear about it directly, not through the grapevine.”

Explain the Human Value

Help people understand what they bring that AI doesn’t. Be specific rather than general.

“AI can draft customer communications, but it can’t read the emotional context of a difficult client relationship. It can analyse data, but it can’t sit in a meeting and sense when the CFO has concerns she hasn’t voiced. That judgment comes from experience that can’t be automated.”

Connect Development to Security

Make clear that the organisation is investing in people, not just technology.

“We’re investing in training because we believe our people using AI effectively is more valuable than AI alone. The skills you’re building now make you more valuable, not less.”

Create Space for Ongoing Dialogue

One conversation isn’t enough. Create channels for people to ask questions and voice concerns as they arise.

“This isn’t a topic we’ll address once and forget. As things evolve, we’ll keep talking about it. If you have concerns you don’t want to raise publicly, my door is open.”

Supporting Managers to Have These Conversations

Most managers haven’t been equipped for these discussions. They’re technical leaders or subject matter experts, not change communication specialists.

Provide:

Talking points and FAQs. What are the most common questions? What are the approved answers? Managers need guidance on what they can and should say.

Boundaries on speculation. What shouldn’t managers speculate about? It’s better to say “I don’t know” than to guess about workforce plans.

Escalation paths. When employees ask questions managers can’t answer, where should those questions go?

Their own safe space to process. Managers have the same anxieties as everyone else. They need to process their concerns before they can effectively support their teams.

What Actually Reduces Anxiety

Addressing anxiety isn’t just about communication. Actions matter more than words.

Visible Investment in Development

When organisations invest seriously in training, it signals belief in the workforce’s future. When they don’t, it signals the opposite.

Visible investment includes:

• Dedicated time for learning, not just optional extras
• Quality training programs, not checkbox compliance
• Career pathways that incorporate new skills
• Recognition for development achievements

Transparency About Strategy

Anxiety thrives in information vacuums. Share as much as you can about how AI fits into the organisation’s strategy.

“We see AI as augmenting our capabilities, not replacing our workforce. Here’s specifically how we’re planning to use it, and here’s what that means for different roles.”

Involving People in the Process

When employees participate in AI implementation decisions, they feel ownership rather than victimhood. Include frontline workers in:

• Evaluating potential tools
• Designing new workflows
• Identifying use cases
• Piloting and providing feedback

Demonstrating That Skills Development Works

The best way to reduce anxiety is for people to experience developing valuable new skills. When someone learns to use AI effectively and sees their work improve, abstract fear gives way to concrete confidence.

Prioritise quick wins—applications that provide immediate value with minimal learning curve. These early successes build belief that adaptation is possible.

When Anxiety Becomes Resistance

Sometimes anxiety manifests as active resistance—refusing to use new tools, undermining adoption, spreading negativity.

Distinguish between:

Legitimate concerns that need addressing. These deserve dialogue and accommodation.

Fear-based resistance that will fade with support and exposure. These need patience and confidence-building.

Philosophical objections to AI itself. These may need to be respected where reasonable accommodation is possible.

Entrenched refusal to adapt regardless of support. This eventually becomes a performance issue.

Most resistance is in the first two categories. Provide support before assuming the worst.

The Long Game

Building comfort with AI isn’t a single campaign. It’s an ongoing process that requires consistent attention.

Continue to:

• Communicate transparently about plans and changes
• Invest in development as technology evolves
• Create forums for questions and concerns
• Celebrate successes without dismissing struggles
• Adjust approach based on what you learn

Organisations that build trust through this transition will have engaged workforces ready to adapt to whatever comes next. Organisations that dismiss concerns will have resistant workforces that undermine adoption.

The technology decisions matter. But the human decisions matter more.

Back to That Workshop

When the consultant asked if she was being trained on tools that would replace her, I gave her an honest answer:

“I don’t know the specifics of your firm’s plans. What I know is that the professionals who learn to work effectively with AI will be more valuable than both AI alone and humans alone. Your experience and judgment don’t go away—they get amplified. The risk isn’t in learning these tools. The risk is in not learning them.”

She nodded slowly. “That’s actually helpful. I wish someone had said that six months ago.”

That’s the gap many organisations need to fill. Say the honest thing, even when it’s nuanced. Say it early, and keep saying it. Your people deserve that respect.