The news: Many Gen Z employees are actively working against their companies’ AI strategies as power struggles emerge.
- 44% of Gen Z knowledge workers in eight countries who use genAI at work are sabotaging their organizations’ AI plans, per Writer’s AI Adoption in the Enterprise report. In 2025, that number was 41%.
- Three-quarters (76%) of C-suite executives state that this sabotage is a serious threat to the company, and over half say AI adoption is tearing their company apart (54%) or creating power struggles and disruption (56%).
Despite this discord, 86% of employees say they’ve benefited from AI.
Digging in: Sabotage efforts most commonly come from concerns about the future of employees’ roles, and those worries are legitimate.
- 30% of employees who sabotage AI strategies do so out of not wanting AI to take over their jobs, which is validated by the fact that two-thirds (69%) of executives are conducting layoffs due to AI.
- Only 27% of employees think they could be fired if they refuse to use AI, but 60% of C-suite executives say they plan to lay off people who can’t or won’t use it.
This indicates AI adoption is a labor problem, not a tech issue.
- 97% of workers said they’re benefiting from AI agents, which are a key product focus for companies like Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI.
- Half (49%) are saving time by using agents, and 43% say agents help deliver better outcomes, results, and decisions.