- Knowledge workers are worried AI could take their jobs
- They spend on average 4.3 hours/week in meetings, report claims
- Asynchronous communication could improve productivity
One in three (35%) knowledge workers are now “gatekeeping” skills to protect their job security against AI threats, with one in five now stressed or anxious that they could be replaced by AI, new research has claimed.
A study by Adaptavist found nearly a third (32%) of entry-level roles have gone since 2022, the company found, intensifying fears even further.
As such, two-fifths (38%) are reluctant to train colleagues in their area of strength so that they can continue to stand out, in the hope of holding onto their roles.
Knowledge workers feel threatened by AI
The study found that knowledge workers spend an average of 4.3 hours per week in meetings, which is nearly as much time as they spend socially with friends (4.4 hours). With the rise in hybrid and remote working, meeting time has tripled since 2020.
Currently, nearly half (46%) have seen colleagues send AI assistants to meetings on their behalf, but many (40%) consider this to be rude compared with personally attending meetings.
However, Adaptavist sees room for AI within organizations, and its role is not to replace human workers at all.
Adaptavist calls for companies to shift towards asynchronous communication, where workers can collaborate during their own working hours without having to be summoned to set-time meetings.
“By embracing asynchronous communication, improving documentation, and using AI to surface relevant information, organisations can ease meeting fatigue while building resilient and aligned teams,” Innovation Lead Neal Riley commented.
With thoughtfully implemented AI, workers feel more energized and motivated, more in control over their tasks, and less frustrated or disconnected.
“The report confirms that when organisations embed AI with this structured approach, they build cultures where employees feel part of the journey,” Riley added.
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