Workers say AI is making work worse, not better

A new survey from Adaptavist finds 65% of knowledge workers feel nostalgic for pre-AI work, and 38% would remove generative AI from the world entirely. The findings suggest many employees see AI as adding verification work, reducing creativity, and increasing pressure rather than saving time.

Why it matters: - The research points to a growing gap between AI adoption and employee experience. - Workers are reporting more verification work, less creative value, and lower engagement. - The findings matter for employers trying to justify AI rollouts as productivity gains.

What happened: - Adaptavist surveyed 2,500 knowledge workers in the UK, US, Canada, Germany and Spain in March 2026. - 65% said they regularly feel nostalgic for how work operated before generative AI. - 30% said they preferred how work operated before GenAI tools were widely adopted. - 38% said they would remove GenAI tools from the world entirely if they could. - 26% said they had no preference either way. - Younger workers were more likely to want GenAI gone. - 40% of Gen Z respondents and 40% of Millennials said they would remove GenAI from the world. - That compares with 32% of Gen X workers and 29% of Boomers.

The details: - 31% of workers who would remove AI said it reduces creativity. - 29% cited concerns over misuse. - 28% worried about surveillance and privacy. - 46% said dealing with low-quality AI output makes their job feel less meaningful and more repetitive. - 37% said that low-quality AI output has made them less engaged at work overall. - 42% said they now spend more time verifying and fact-checking AI output than the time they save by using it. - 49% said poor-quality AI-generated work is slowing down their projects. - 55% said AI-generated work is reducing overall team efficiency. - 50% said their performance is now being compared, fairly or not, with AI-generated output. - 25% said they use AI simply to meet workload demands. - 23% said they use AI just to keep up with colleagues. - 26% said they feel pressure to improve performance to keep pace. - 25% said they feel pressure to improve quality. - 24% said they feel pressure to be more efficient.

Between the lines: - The survey does not show a rejection of AI across the board. - 67% said they would like their organization to increase AI use. - 69% said they trust that AI is being used ethically. - 66% said their organization has been transparent about its AI adoption. - At the same time, 36% said they often do not understand why they are expected to use AI in their role. - An equal 36% said they experience AI fatigue. - Neal Riley, AI Innovation Lead at The Adaptavist Group, said organizations often focus on adoption metrics instead of the impact AI has on the work itself. - Riley said AI works better when companies understand the nature of the work, set guardrails, and support employees properly.

What's next: - Adaptavist argues that companies need to measure outcomes and work quality, not just AI usage rates. - The company says thoughtful implementation could help AI enhance work instead of eroding it. - The research was conducted by Attest. - More information is available in Adaptavist's announcement.