A recent report shows that almost thirty percent of workers in Europe and North America are afraid of being laid off due to the rise of AI. Most employees don’t mind this, but they expect at least one of their tasks to be automated.

More than a quarter of workers in Europe and North America fear that AI will make their jobs redundant. However, in the Benelux, only a small majority expect AI to have an impact on their current workplace.

Fear of AI’s impact on job security

The report from IDC and Unit4 shows that 28 percent of workers in Europe and North America are afraid of being laid off by AI. This research was conducted to analyze the human impact of AI on the work environment. Although many people fear that AI could take over their jobs, a larger group believes that AI will influence their everyday work in the future.

In the Benelux there are slightly fewer concerns about direct consequences for job security. About 55 percent of workers in the region expect AI to impact their jobs in some way. 78 percent believe AI will automate at least one of their tasks within two years.

Use of generative AI on the rise

Although AI tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini are increasingly used worldwide, their use in the Benelux is still relatively low at 42 percent. These workers are currently using generative AI to simplify repetitive tasks or are considering doing so in the near future. The reluctance in the Benelux countries could indicate a critical attitude towards AI.

Critical attitude towards AI in professional life

One benefit of AI is that it improves the work experience by automating repetitive tasks. This means employees have more time for more valuable work. However, people in the Benelux countries are skeptical about this advantage. Only 37 percent of employees believe their work experience will improve with further automation. Claus Jepsen, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Unit4, emphasizes that AI has a major impact on the way we work. In her opinion, companies should think carefully about what exactly they want to achieve with AI.

He notes that AI can be a complement, but cannot completely replace human thinking and actions. Unit4 therefore decides to use AI pragmatically and to take human participation into account. According to the company, this is important to support employees and maintain trust in AI.

The IDC report findings suggest that AI will bring about a dramatic but gradual change in the work environment.