The seatbelt sign is on as AI gathers speed

game-changing. Yet even the acceleration will reach a point we can’t predict as AI begins to build itself. It’s not surprising that underneath the excitement lies a frisson of anxiety as humans are forced to re-evaluate their own place in the modern world.

Yet, we have no choice but to get past the fear and carve out new pastures.The IT sector is experiencing a wave of layoffs—that painful truth we know. While the numbers are high, the relationship between these job cuts and AI is complex. Certain kinds of jobs are being lost, but AI is also used as a convenient corporate scapegoat for restructuring.

The situation naturally causes extreme anxiety across the board, even though new—but different—jobs will come up. This is the most visible face of AI anxiety right now.Even for those not in immediate danger of being laid off, there is a great amount of unease as AI changes the equation between an employee and the employer. Have you ever worked really hard at something, submitted it with a great amount of satisfaction, only to be rewarded with a knowing smirk and be asked whether you got ChatGPT to do the job?Never before have we found ourselves in the dilemma of having to prove proficiency with technology and AI while also having to demonstrate that our own expertise, judgement and skills are sound and strong.

There’s a constant pressure to upskill and reskill, which is thought to lead to quicker burnout. With AI taking over many portions of a role, employees feel uneasy about their own relevance and worth. An unenviable position to be in.Another source of anxiety, and dare I say utter exhaustion, comes from the amount of fake content descending on us.