AI Replacement Dysfunction

Paranoid about AI replacing you? There's a new term for that.

Workers are "increasingly suffering from distress caused by the constant fear of being replaced." The anxiety around AI has "gotten so bad that it needs its own term." AI replacement dysfunction (AIRD) is the newly coined term to describe the extent to which workers are "freaking out over being replaced by AI."

The mental health impact of AI anxiety is real, with real symptoms:

In a recent article published in the Cureus Journal of Medical Science, University of Florida researchers outlined AI Replacement Dysfunction (AIRD) as a way to "describe stress linked to fears of AI-related job loss."

While AIRD can manifest differently depending on the individual, researchers say symptoms of AIRD can include "anxiety, insomnia, paranoia, denial of AI’s relevance, loss of identity, feelings of worthlessness, resentment and hopelessness."

While AIRD is not an official term, experts say "clinicians can still screen for it by integrating specific questions into standard assessments."

AI displacement is an invisible disaster. As with other disasters that affect mental health, effective responses must extend beyond the clinician’s office to include community support and collaborative partnerships that foster recovery."

Joseph Thornton, M.D., Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry, University of Florida, via University of Florida

There is growing fear among workers about AI taking their jobs:

71% of American workers are worried that AI will be "putting too many people out of work permanently," according to a recent Reuters poll.

One-third of U.S. workers believe AI will "lead to fewer job opportunities for them in the long run," according to a Pew Research Center survey.

The same Pew survey found that just 6% of U.S. workers believe workplace AI use will "lead to more job opportunities for them in the long run."

Over 25% of UK workers are "worried their jobs could disappear in the next five years as a result of AI," according to a recent survey.

A survey of workers in India found that 49% of millennial workers “fear that artificial intelligence could replace their jobs within the next three to five years.”

It turns out that constantly telling workers they’re about to be replaced by AI has grim psychological effects."

Futurism

Young workers, especially, are "deeply worried" about AI taking jobs -- and they have reason to be concerned:

Almost 20% of Gen Z workers are "deeply worried artificial intelligence (AI) will put them out of work within the next two years," according to Deutsche Bank Research. (That's compared to just 10% of baby boomers and Gen Xers who feel the same.)

80% of "early-career" professionals in the UK "believe AI will replace people in most areas of work," according to Propel Tech.

Entry-level workers in occupations that are most exposed to AI have already seen a "13% relative decline in employment," according to a recent study published by Stanford's Digital Economy Lab.

Young workers are worried about their financial security, and aren't optimistic about the future:

43% of young Americans are "struggling or getting by with limited financial security," according to the Harvard Youth Poll. Financial insecurity is significantly higher among non-degree holders (53%) than among college students (28%) and graduates (32%). Just under one third (30%) of young Americans "believe they will be better off financially than their parents."

Young Americans are less optimistic about future opportunities and are worried about both "threats to job security" and "diminished meaning in their careers." 44% of young Americans think AI will "reduce opportunities." Just 14% of young Americans believe AI will result in increased opportunities, according to the Harvard Youth Poll.

The act of disruption inherently creates anxiety because it asks us to change abruptly and dive into the unknown."

Harvard Business Review

Therapists report that more patients are expressing anxiety about a “fear of becoming obsolete":

Experts tell CNBC that losing a job to AI -- or fear around that possibility -- can “trigger a host of existential questions.”

Workers may interpret a job loss as the universe telling them they are "no longer needed."

Workers can regain the "sense of agency" that feels fleeting by "learning enough about AI to understand where it genuinely alters work, and where it does not."

What can employers do?

First and foremost, experts say business leaders must "act thoughtfully and empathetically when it comes to AI adoption."

Employers should prioritize AI training and upskilling to "show employees how their careers can evolve alongside the technology."

Fearful employees may be inclined toward gatekeeping knowledge. Employers can "create incentives for knowledge-sharing over hoarding" in order to prevent this from happening.