Workers fear this even more than burnout

In its latest round of mass layoffs, Amazon is eliminating 16,000 jobs—following a round of 14,000 cuts back in the fall. The tech giant did not cite artificial intelligence in a memo to employees, and Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has previously denied that the company is slashing headcount due to AI. But there’s no denying AI plays a role, whether or not these layoffs can actually be attributed to it. 

Jassy has explicitly said that adopting AI across Amazon “will reduce our total corporate workforce as we get efficiency gains.” Even though there is limited data to suggest AI is directly responsible for the scourge of layoffs across corporate America, plenty of CEOs have made clear that they believe the technology will transform their workplaces, and that their employees need to get on board.

Workers are listening—and they’re anxious about what widespread AI adoption means for their job prospects in a challenging market. 

A new report from Indeed surveyed over 2,000 workers and found that AI is a major concern, with over a third of them saying it will negatively impact their job opportunities and career growth. In fact, AI nudged out burnout as the leading concern among job seekers. For 40% of employers, adopting AI is a major focus in 2026—but 35% of job seekers see this as a troubling shift. 

“Your employees know AI isn’t going away and will impact their work,” Matt Berndt, the head of Indeed’s Job Search Academy, said in a blog post. “The big question is how? This unknown breeds uncertainty, and that’s the disconnect: Both employers and workers are using AI, but they don’t understand or trust how the other is using it. This isn’t a tech problem; it’s human.”

Economists have argued there is little evidence that AI is already displacing workers in high numbers, even in sectors that are more vulnerable to its effects. Still, employees across corporate America have reason to fret over AI: In just the last month, several companies have explicitly cited AI in layoff announcements. Pinterest will be laying off 15% of its workforce this year, in an effort to redirect resources to teams that are working on AI. Citigroup already cut 1,000 jobs in January, and CEO Jane Fraser has teased more layoffs later this year due to AI and automation. This report also aligns with the broader sentiment around AI adoption: Public opinion polling has repeatedly shown that Americans fear AI will usher in sweeping job losses. 

Indeed’s report also captures a fundamental disconnect between employers and rank and file workers. The overwhelming majority of employers are convinced they know what their workforce wants, according to Indeed—though their employees largely disagree. Half of employers also seem to think the job market is actually improving, while 40% of workers believe it is only getting worse. Many employers are worried about budgets and cost reduction, while two-thirds of workers are jockeying for a raise. 

In spite of these findings, one thing employers and their workers might actually agree on is that burnout is looming—perhaps now more than ever. 

For workers, burnout is a major concern, not far behind AI. Employers claim to be most concerned with employee wellbeing and burnout, while also anticipating that the “996” schedule—the 72-hour work week that is growing more popular across AI companies—will take over more workplaces. 

Nearly 40% of employers said they expect longer work weeks, per the Indeed report, even as 46% of job seekers cited work life balance as a top priority. As they face increasing pressure from their employers to embrace AI, it’s little surprise that workers are not exactly optimistic about what 2026 has in store.

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