Unchanneled worker enthusiasm squanders agentic AI’s promise

The paradox will define the future of work.

The next two decades promise more workplace transformation than the previous two centuries combined, yet most companies are fumbling the fundamentals. Too often, executives fail to provide a clear vision, adequate training, or a roadmap for middle managers suddenly asked to navigate hybrid human–AI teams.

The first EY Agentic AI Workplace Survey, which polled more than 1,100 US desk workers across six industries at companies with an annual revenue of $1B or more, shows a solid foundation of optimism. Workers overwhelmingly expect positive impacts on productivity, efficiency, and their work experience. But many are left to experiment with the technology on their own. Lower-level employees are roughly twice as likely to feel in the dark about their organization’s AI strategy, and 65% of non-people managers worry about their own job security working alongside AI agents.

This isn’t just a technology challenge—it’s a leadership crisis disguised as a digital revolution.

The question is not whether agentic AI will reshape your workforce, but whether your organization will rise to the challenge of reinvention or risk a legacy of stagnation.

Welcome to the workplace transformation that will define a generation—and separate the visionary leaders from those who merely watched it happen.

Workers stand at the crossroads of excitement and anxiety: most see AI as a catalyst for better productivity, balance, and work experience, yet many quietly fear job loss or their own ability to keep up with the pace of change. The contradiction is clear—optimism fuels ambition, while unease threatens adoption.

Takeaway

AI adoption is not just a technology rollout—it’s also the human process of redefining how AI and humans work together. Leaders must channel employee optimism while addressing job-security fears to prevent enthusiasm from curdling into resistance.

Takeaway

Without a compass, the AI journey drifts off course. Communication is not a side note—it’s a strategic lever. Leaders who openly share their AI vision give employees the context and confidence they need to embrace change. By making people feel included in the journey, leaders can build trust, speed adoption, and unlock business impact far beyond what technology alone could deliver.

Workers know the future demands new skills: about nine in ten say reskilling is essential to effectively leverage AI.

Takeaway

Companies must own the learning agenda and provide structured, trusted programs that match employees’ hunger to learn. By taking responsibility for the learning journey, organizations not only ensure employees gain the right capabilities but also build confidence, loyalty, and alignment with strategic goals.

Half of managers doubt their ability to lead AI-augmented teams, and most expect management to become harder, not easier. Younger generations show optimism tinged with overwhelm; older managers emphasize pragmatism, ethics, and guardrails. Across the board, leadership confidence is shaky.

Takeaway

Organizations must give managers the tools to balance authority with trust and manage new human-AI dynamics. Only then can they lead confidently in uncharted territory—at a turning point that will redefine the nature of work more in one generation than the past two centuries combined.

When the inflection point arrives, where will you stand?

The choice is stark.

Organizations can treat AI as a tool for squeezing more out of yesterday’s model, or they can use it as a catalyst for reinvention—creating new industries, roles, and ways of working that expand human power. Employees need clarity, confidence, and leadership bold enough to meet their ambition with vision.

This is the inflection point. The agentic era will not wait. History will remember which leaders stood still, and which had the courage to reinvent—not just their businesses, but the very idea of work itself.