Therapists Report Rising Workplace Anxiety as Employees Fear Replacement by AI

The spread of artificial intelligence across U.S. workplaces is prompting a notable uptick in anxiety among employees, according to mental-health professionals who say more clients now discuss fears of being replaced by technology. Counselors from Denver to New York report that the possibility—or reality—of job loss linked to AI is shaping therapy sessions, leading many workers to question their value and long-term career prospects.

Workers bring AI concerns into the therapy room

Trauma counselor Emma Kobil in Denver said several clients have already lost positions to automation and arrive expressing shock and disbelief. In New York, clinical psychologist Harvey Lieberman observes a pattern of patients who “fear becoming obsolete,” often doubting past career choices and future stability. Psychotherapists note that the emotional impact is greater when employers do not clearly state whether AI contributed to layoffs, leaving displaced workers in what Lieberman terms a “gray zone” that magnifies self-doubt.

Survey data confirm widespread unease

Quantitative research mirrors what therapists describe. A July 2025 survey by the American Psychological Association found that 38% of U.S. employees worry AI will render some or all of their tasks outdated. Career coach Rhiannon Batchelder considers the concerns reasonable, pointing out that certain firms now ask staff to design proposals showing how automation could absorb parts of their roles. She argues that, in a climate of mass layoffs and rising executive compensation, technology-driven redundancies feel like another blow to hopes of a reliable career path.

Employment figures highlight accelerating disruption

Consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas reported nearly 55,000 U.S. layoffs in 2025 directly attributed to AI, within a broader total of roughly 1.2 million job cuts. Academic analysis suggests the impact could widen: a recent Massachusetts Institute of Technology study estimates that 11% of the domestic labor market is already technically replaceable by existing AI systems.

Corporate announcements underline the trend. Salesforce chief executive Marc Benioff told investors that 4,000 customer-support roles were eliminated after AI began handling half of related tasks. Technology consultancy Accenture and airline group Lufthansa have also linked restructuring initiatives to automation, while other organizations experiment with generative tools to streamline creative, administrative and analytical functions.

Emotional effects reach beyond job loss

San Diego psychotherapist Ben Yalom warns that being replaced by software can strike at a person’s core sense of worth. Clients often internalize the message that “you are no longer needed,” he said, which may feel more personal than a conventional downsizing. According to Kobil, underlying responses frequently trace back to “younger parts” of the psyche worried about abandonment, now intensified by the rapid, seemingly uncontrollable pace of technological change.

Licensed psychologist and Columbia University associate professor Riana Elyse Anderson adds that, for decades, mastering computer science or coding was considered a secure route to a long career. The erosion of that assumption forces many professionals to reassess aspirations and identity simultaneously.

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Coping strategies recommended by clinicians

Therapists advise workers who suspect or know they were displaced by AI to acknowledge the loss rather than move immediately into problem-solving mode. Kobil recommends allowing space for grief, noting that society is undergoing rapid transformation. Anderson suggests pausing the search for a “perfectly stable” field, because the landscape is still shifting, and instead conducting an inventory of personal interests and strengths.

Creating distance between self-worth and occupation is another recurring theme. Counselors emphasize that, just as people age out of their younger bodies, skill sets can also become outdated without negating a person’s broader identity or value.

Knowledge as a path to regained control

Mental-health experts caution against withdrawing into despair. Lieberman argues that learning how AI genuinely alters specific tasks can restore a sense of agency. Batchelder points to a growing menu of certificate programs and free online courses that teach foundational concepts, positioning workers to collaborate with or oversee automated systems rather than compete with them directly. During periods of uncertainty, she said, up-to-date information remains a potent asset.

For some, the period may lead to reskilling or returning to school; for others, it could prompt a career change toward domains less susceptible to automation. Regardless of the path, therapists stress that informed action—rooted in realistic assessment rather than panic—helps mitigate the psychological toll of technological disruption.

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