AI is supposed to make work faster and easier. But some experts say it’s also causing unforeseen — and sometimes, overlooked — challenges for employees.
Several leaders of major companies have mandated that their employees integrate AI into their workflows, with Shopify CEO Tobias Lütke calling it a “fundamental expectation” for workers. A Sept. 2025 survey from AI Resume Builder found that 24% of companies said they require AI use across all roles, based on responses from nearly 1,300 business leaders.
But there’s a disconnect between leaders’ enthusiasm and expectations around AI and employees’ actual experiences, says Dennis Stolle, head of applied psychology at the American Psychological Association.
A January survey from AI consulting firm Section found that 74% of the C-suite reported feeling “excited” about AI, while 68% of individual contributors reported feeling “anxious or overwhelmed.”
It takes a lot of human labor and oversight to produce quality results with AI, some workers tell CNBC Make It, not to mention the time and effort employees expend learning how to use the tools in the first place. Moreover, using AI can itself create a kind of mental strain and fatigue called “brain fry,” according to a recent study.
