TL;DR

More than a quarter of UK workers fear their jobs could disappear within five years due to AI, according to a Randstad survey of 27,000 employees. Two-thirds of UK employers have invested in AI in the past year, creating what the company calls “mismatched AI expectations.”

The AI Reality Gap

The survey reveals a significant disconnect between employer and employee perspectives. Whilst 66% of UK employers reported investing in AI over the past 12 months, nearly half of office workers surveyed believe AI will benefit companies more than employees.

This concern isn’t evenly distributed across generations. Gen Z workers—those born between 1997 and 2012—express the greatest anxiety about AI’s impact and their ability to adapt. Baby boomers, nearing the end of their careers, show greater self-assurance.

The heightened concern among younger workers may stem from business decisions to invest in AI to fill skills gaps through automation rather than training new hires. This adds pressure to an already cooling labour market for early-career workers.

Productivity Gains, Uncertain Outcomes

About 55% of UK workers surveyed said AI had made a positive impact on their productivity—a view shared by employers. The technology is increasingly replacing “low-complexity, transactional roles,” which could address labour shortages in certain industries.

Globally, job vacancies requiring “AI agent” skills have risen by 1,587% over the past year, suggesting the technology is creating some roles even as it eliminates others.

Looking Forward

Randstad CEO Sander van ‘t Noordende argues the perception gap needs addressing: “AI is not a rival to labour; it should be seen as key to augmenting tasks and highlighting the importance of roles that only people can do.” Whether that message reaches anxious workers—and whether it proves accurate—remains to be seen.