US workers most exposed to artificial intelligence (AI) are better positioned to navigate job transitions following displacement than the broader workforce, according to new research from fellows at the nonprofit Centre for Governance of AI (GovAI).
The study examined 356 occupations covering 95.9% of the US workforce and introduced an occupation-level adaptive capacity index, capturing a set of worker characteristics relevant for navigating job transitions if displaced, including net liquid wealth, skill transferability, geographic density, and age of workers.
It found that AI exposure and adaptive capacity are positively correlated. Of the 37.1 million workers in the top quartile of AI exposure, 26.5 million (40%) occupy positions that have above-median adaptive capacity, making them comparatively well-equipped to handle job transitions if displacement occurs.
These occupations, which include managerial, professional, and technical positions like computer programmers, web developers, and financial analysts, typically possess characteristics that enable successful navigation of job transitions, such as substantial financial resources and transferable skill sets.
Despite the overall positive correlation between exposure and adaptive capacity, the research identified 6.1 million workers, or 4.2% of the workforce in the sample, who face high AI exposure but who fall in the bottom quartile of adaptive capacity.
These workers are concentrated in clerical and administrative roles, and include secretaries and administrative assistants, information clerks, and tax preparers. They represent a segment of the labor market that may struggle most to transition to comparable new job opportunities if displaced.
Early-career workers among the most impacted
But beyond job roles, AI affects employees differently based on their seniority. 2025 research by Stanford University scholars found AI has a disproportionate impact on early-career workers, with employment growth for young workers stagnating since late 2022 while overall employment continued to grow robustly.
In particular, the research identified substantial employment declines for workers aged 22 to 25 in occupations most exposed to AI, such as software developers and customer service representatives. In these roles, workers in this age bracket experienced a 6% drop in employment from late 2022 to September 2025, compared to a 6-9% increase for older workers.
AI adoption in the workplace
Over the past years, adoption of AI in the workplace has intensified. According to Boston Consulting Group’s 2025 AI at Work global survey, more than three-quarters of leaders and managers used generative AI (genAI) several times a week in 2025, up 22 points from 2023. For frontline employees, that figure stood at 51% in 2025, marking a 31 point increase from 2023.
Respondents reported tangible productivity gains, with 47% of respondents stating that AI saves them more than an hour a day with AI. Workers reinvested this time in several ways, with most completing additional tasks (54%), finishing work earlier with higher quality (52%), or shifting their focus to strategic initiatives (44%).
However, AI is also introducing a new set of challenges. Preliminary research conducted by scholars at the University of California, Berkeley examined over an eight-month period in 2025 how genAI affected work habits at a US-based tech company with about 200 employees. It found that while AI does reduce burden of some work and frees up time for high-value task, the technology also drives employees to work at a faster pace, take on a broader scope of tasks, and extend work into more hours of the day, often without being asked to do so.
While these shifts may initially appear ideal for leadership, this “workload creep” can lead to cognitive fatigue, burnout, and weakened decision-making. Ultimately, the initial productivity surge may give way to lower quality work, turnover, and other problems.
Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by thanyakij-12 via Freepik
