Over the last few years, Emma Kobil, a trauma counselor in Denver, started noticing a new topic coming up with her patients: artificial intelligence.
“I’ve had clients lose their jobs due to AI, and it’s something we’ve processed in our sessions,” Kobil said. Often, they express “shock, disbelief and fear about navigating a changing career landscape where their skills are no longer needed,” she said.
Other therapists said the technology is also vexing their patients.
“What I hear most often is a fear of becoming obsolete,” said Harvey Lieberman, a clinical psychologist in New York. “People start questioning their judgment, their choices or their future.”
More than a third — or 38% — of workers said they worry AI will make some or all of their job duties outdated in the future, according to a July 2025 survey by the American Psychological Association.
