Despite growing familiarity with artificial intelligence, 53% of Americans remain worried AI could cost someone in their household a job, leaving companies struggling with how to introduce the technology without losing workers' trust. Experts say businesses often have detailed plans for adopting AI but fail to adequately explain what those changes mean for employees, career development and future jobs.

Companies finding greater acceptance are emphasizing upskilling and employee involvement rather than layoffs and cost cutting. Ironclad encourages training and peer learning, Superhuman lets individual teams experiment with AI and determine where it helps their workflows, while Torani— which has never had a layoff in its 103-year history—introduces technology gradually and promises not to eliminate jobs through automation. The common theme is transparency: workers appear more receptive to AI when they understand why it's being introduced, have a role in how it's used and trust that management isn't simply looking for ways to replace them.

Source: America’s AI backlash: How the effort to keep worker trust is evolving inside companies