The gap between tech workers who use AI and those who don’t has moved past “career disadvantage” territory and into something more alarming: actual job loss. Gallup’s latest workplace research reveals that tech workers who engage with AI less than once a month are three times more likely to have been laid off compared to those who use it at least monthly.
The numbers paint a stark picture
According to Gallup’s Q1 2026 data, 18% of US workers believe their job is somewhat or very likely to be eliminated within five years due to technology, AI, or automation. That number climbs to 23% among employees at organizations that are actively adopting AI. And within the tech sector itself, 31% of workers harbor those fears.
Just 15% of workers were worried about tech-driven job obsolescence back in 2021. By 2024, that figure had risen to 22%.
Daily AI usage across the broader workforce still averages only 8-10%. The heaviest users tend to be leaders and those in white-collar or remote-capable roles.
