After a whirlwind relationship with AI, workers are waking up to the sobering reality of the technology’s adoption.
Workforce solution firm ManpowerGroup’s 2026 Global Talent Barometer found that worker relationships with AI have grown complicated. The study—based on interviews with nearly 14,000 workers across 19 countries—found that while regular AI usage jumped among workers by 13% in 2025, confidence in the technology’s use plummeted by 18%.
“AI adoption is accelerating, but confidence is collapsing,” Mara Stefan, VP of global insights at ManpowerGroup, told Fortune. “Workers are being handed tools without training, context, or support.”
The confidence gap isn’t hitting everyone equally. It’s most pronounced among older workers, with a 35% decrease in confidence among baby boomers and a 25% drop among gen X workers. As the technology becomes a daily requirement, the workforce—and especially its most experienced members—is feeling left behind.
The training void
