AI anxiety is hitting workers’ mental health, especially Gen Z

A new survey of 1,000 U.S. workers finds nearly half say worry about AI at work has affected their mental health, with Gen Z reporting the highest stress. The study also shows many workers are quietly trying to protect their jobs, from upskilling on their own time to seeking new roles they think are less likely to be automated.

Why it matters: - AI anxiety is no longer just about job loss. The survey found workers are carrying the stress into sleep, confidence, motivation, and burnout. - The pressure is landing hardest on younger workers, especially Gen Z, who are also more likely to turn to chatbots than to mental health professionals. - The findings suggest AI adoption may be reshaping not just work tasks, but how workers feel about their careers and their own value.

What happened: - The Sylvia Brafman Mental Health Center Georgia surveyed 1,000 U.S. workers about how AI is affecting work, job security, workload, and mental health. - Nearly half of workers, 49%, said worrying about AI at work has affected their mental health or well-being. - That figure rose to 71% among Gen Z and fell to 28% among baby boomers. - More workers turned to an AI chatbot for reassurance about AI at work, 9%, than to a therapist, counselor, doctor, or other professional, 6%. - Among workers reporting AI-related stress, 77% sought help from neither a professional nor a chatbot.

The details: - The most common mental health effect was increased stress or anxiety, reported by 17% of workers. - Other effects included lower confidence in professional abilities, 16%; lower motivation at work, 15%; and emotional exhaustion or burnout, 14%. - Smaller shares reported worry about paying bills or maintaining financial stability, 13%; trouble sleeping, 12%; and trouble concentrating, 11%. - Seven in 10 Gen Z workers, 71%, reported at least one effect, compared with 46% of millennials, 35% of Gen X, and 28% of baby boomers. - More than a quarter of Gen Z, 28%, said AI has made them less confident in their professional skills, compared with 6% of boomers. - Gen Z was also the generation most likely to seek help of any kind, with 17% using chatbots and 12% seeing professionals. - Men were more than twice as likely as women to use a chatbot, 12% vs. 5%, while 6% of each saw a professional. - Women were more likely to worry about paying bills, 16% vs. 11% of men. - More than half of workers, 56%, said AI could replace some or all of their work within five years. - That concern included 15% who were extremely concerned. - Concern rose by generation, from 38% of baby boomers to 51% of Gen X, 57% of millennials, and 66% of Gen Z. - Nearly a quarter of Gen Z, 24%, said they were extremely concerned. - Three in 10 workers, 30%, felt less secure about their job or career than a year ago, while 20% felt more secure. - Gen Z workers were twice as likely as boomers to feel less secure, 42% vs. 21%. - Women were more likely than men to feel less secure, 34% vs. 26%. - More than two in five workers, 42%, said AI reduces the time their tasks take. - Another 18% said AI has little or no effect on task time, and 14% said it adds time. - A third, 33%, said expectations for output rose once AI was adopted, while 7% said expectations fell. - The most common workplace changes after AI adoption were employees expected to complete more work using AI, 27%; responsibilities reduced or reassigned, 24%; coworkers relying on AI-generated work without checking it, 18%; employees told to use AI without adequate guidance or training, 17%; and layoffs or role eliminations linked to AI or automation, 16%. - Income shaped how workers experienced the shift. Among workers earning $150,000 or more, 34% said employees were expected to do more with AI, compared with 20% of those earning under $50,000. - Fifty-one percent of workers said they have felt pressure to improve their AI skills to stay competitive. - Just over a quarter, 27%, practiced with AI tools outside normal work hours. - Twenty-four percent completed an AI course or certification in the past year. - Twelve percent paid out of pocket for AI software, training, or education. - Gen Z workers were nearly three times as likely as boomers to complete an AI course, 32% vs. 12%. - Men were more likely than women to complete a course, 30% vs. 18%. - Nearly two-thirds of workers, 64%, did something in the past year to prove their value or avoid looking replaceable. - Common behaviors included making themselves more available to managers or coworkers, 22%; working beyond scheduled hours, 21%; answering work messages outside normal hours, 20%; taking on additional tasks without additional pay, 19%; delaying or skipping time off, 16%; and overstating AI skills or claiming AI use they had not done, 15%. - The behavior was most common among Gen Z, 78%, followed by millennials, 64%; Gen X, 54%; and baby boomers, 46%. - A quarter of Gen Z, 26%, overstated their AI skills, compared with 15% of millennials, 10% of boomers, and 6% of Gen X. - Half of workers, 51%, applied for or seriously considered a new job for an AI-related reason in the past year. - That included 77% of Gen Z, 47% of millennials, 36% of Gen X, and 27% of baby boomers. - Workers were drawn by greater job security, 45%; a role that seemed less likely to be automated, 35%; and an employer offering more AI training, 31%. - More than a third, 36%, considered a role specifically because it required less AI use, rising to 58% among Gen Z. - Nearly a quarter of workers, 24%, applied without knowing whether a person would review their application. - Nineteen percent never heard from a human at all. - Eighteen percent rewrote their resume to pass automated screening, 31% of Gen Z. - Fourteen percent used an AI tool to write or revise application materials, and 8% withdrew from an application because the process felt overly automated.

Between the lines: - The study points to a quiet coping pattern: workers are absorbing AI stress privately rather than seeking formal support. - Gen Z appears to feel the sharpest mix of threat and pressure, likely because entry-level tasks are the easiest to automate and the hardest career footing to replace. - The same tools that create anxiety are also becoming part of how workers manage that anxiety, as seen in chatbot use and AI-assisted job applications.

What’s next: - Workers are likely to keep spending more of their own time and money to stay current on AI skills. - Employers may face more pressure to clarify how AI changes workload, expectations, and career paths. - The study suggests mental health support may need to be built into AI rollouts, rather than treated as a separate issue.

The bottom line: - AI is not just changing what workers do. It is changing how secure, capable, and replaceable they feel while doing it.

More information: View the full study