65% of Workers Avoid AI at Times as 37% Cite Privacy Concerns
Updated
Updated · CNBC · May 14
65% of Workers Avoid AI at Times as 37% Cite Privacy Concerns
1 articles · Updated · CNBC · May 14
A CNBC-SurveyMonkey survey of 3,365 employed Americans found 65% have at some point avoided using AI over moral, environmental, privacy, accuracy or other concerns.
37% of both workers and students cited privacy, while 28% of workers avoided AI on moral or ethical grounds and 26% said it was not accurate or useful enough.
Students showed sharper resistance on several measures: 36% avoided AI over environmental concerns versus 19% of workers, and 56% said AI makes them more pessimistic about the job market.
That anxiety extends to hiring: 53% of workers and 65% of students said AI is taking away entry-level opportunities, even as employers increasingly reward AI skills.
The split underscores a widening tension in workplaces, where most regular AI users say it boosts productivity and saves time but many still distrust its broader impact.
Given the surge in AI adoption despite deep concerns, how can individuals and organizations balance innovation with responsibility and trust?
With AI rapidly reshaping jobs and raising ethical and environmental alarms, can new regulations and education keep pace with the technology's risks and rewards?
As young workers face growing pessimism and AI-related job disruption, what skills or strategies can truly future-proof their careers?
AI at a Crossroads: 57% of Workers and 64% of Students Oppose Mandatory AI Use Amid Rising Privacy and Trust Concerns (May 2026)
Overview
As of May 2026, AI avoidance and skepticism are rising across the workforce and student populations. Most workers and students believe companies should discourage AI use in junior roles, and many prefer AI use to be optional rather than mandatory. This reflects a growing erosion of trust in required AI adoption. In marketing, over half of teams feel they understand their audiences better than AI, and many are cautious about using AI for customer-facing content. These trends highlight a desire for human agency and control, as well as concerns about AI's ability to connect with people and protect privacy.