Nearly half of UK workers fear AI will take their job, even as a separate report indicates year-over-year AI agent usage has soared by 90%. The findings underscore a growing tension between accelerating enterprise AI adoption and persistent worker anxiety about job displacement and workplace monitoring.
Job Fears and Workforce Monitoring
According to a survey by GMB Union, 48% of UK workers worry that AI will take their job amid broader AI rollouts, which GMB says could be reducing uptake. Nearly a third (29%) reported that their employers have introduced AI tools, and 26% noted that AI is now performing tasks they would normally do. The survey also found that 48% believe AI is being used to monitor or track them, raising new surveillance and performance monitoring concerns.
GMB compared the current shift to earlier technological transitions like the advent of the internet. The union argued that AI could actually improve productivity, but displaced workers should receive support, training, and opportunities. The union cited recent layoffs that underline worker fears: approximately 1,000 jobs at Asda’s George division and 450 jobs at Nestlé in the UK. Additionally, according to layoffs.fyi, more than 117,000 tech workers have been laid off globally in 2026.
One worker told GMB: “We can’t just leave it to companies to do the right thing. As we all know, their priority will almost always be their bottom line. The Government must legislate to protect workers’ jobs or guarantee retraining or redeployment when change is unavoidable.”
AI Agent Usage Surges
Separate research from Stack Overflow points toward growing AI adoption. The report noted a 90% year-over-year increase in AI agent usage, from 31% to 59%. Daily use of AI agents rose by 164%, indicative of more frequent use and higher trust, according to Stack Overflow.
| Metric | Previous Year | Current Year | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI agent usage | 31% | 59% | +90% YoY |
| Daily AI agent usage | (baseline) | (baseline) | +164% |
Despite the surge, the report highlights the continued importance of human workers. 63% of respondents said they rarely or never let agents complete tasks without human oversight. A similar proportion (60%) prevent agents from making unapproved system changes. Tools such as Claude Code and Codex are mentioned as examples of systems capable of greater autonomy.
Ongoing Hurdles and Future Outlook
Fears of immediate job losses may be overstated, as companies still struggle with long-standing challenges. The survey found that 82% are concerned about AI accuracy, and 77% worry about security and privacy risks. Cost remains a major barrier for 38% of companies, though that is down from 53% last year.
Looking ahead, research from the World Economic Forum (WEF) expects 170 million new jobs to be created by 2030, even as 92 million could be displaced—a net gain of 78 million jobs. The WEF estimates that disruption will affect 22% of workers, suggesting a shift in roles and retraining rather than wholesale job loss. The WEF identifies AI, data, networks, cybersecurity, and technological literacy as the most in-demand skills for the future.
The findings suggest that while AI adoption accelerates, the path to full autonomy remains cautious, and workforce transition strategies will be critical for enterprise technology leaders.
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