More American workers are experimenting with artificial intelligence in their jobs, but skepticism is still widespread.

New Gallup polling finds that while more employees are using AI frequently in their work, there’s been an uptick in alarm that new technologies will replace their jobs.

Many workers who are not using AI say they prefer to work without it, have ethical oppositions to the technology or worry about data privacy.

The poll, conducted in February, points to a divergence in how AI is reshaping American workplaces.

Some find it to be a gamechanger for productivity and efficiency, while others are concerned about its potentially negative impacts.

About 3 in 10 workers use AI often at work, while another 2 in 10 use it only sometimes.

Around 4 in 10 companies have started using AI tools, and of those, most workers say AI helps them work better and faster.

AI seems to help some jobs more than others. It works best for people in management, healthcare, and tech, where about 6 in 10 see benefits. In service jobs, fewer people, about 4 in 10, say it helps them much.

For instance, Social Worker Scott Segal said he regularly uses AI to find information that will help connect his elderly and vulnerable patients to health care resources in northern Virginia.

While he knows that the human connection and care he brings to that work is important, he also believes that AI could soon replace him.

“I’m planning ahead,” said Segal, 53. “I think everyone who works in a replaceable field or trade should be planning ahead.”

Similarly, Labor and Employment Attorney Elizabeth Bloch uses ChatGPT to draft diplomatic communications in her adversarial profession, noting its utility in sensitive exchanges.

Even though AI is improving productivity, many workers still don’t use it, and about half of U.S. employees rarely or never use AI or even when it’s available, 46% prefer their normal way of working.

Some avoid AI because of privacy worries, ethical concerns, or doubt that it is truly helpful.

Others have tried it but didn’t fully trust it, because for example, a lawyer found that AI sometimes gives wrong or fake information, which can be risky for important work.

Some workers only use AI for simple tasks and prefer to do skilled work themselves because they are more confident in their own abilities.

Many American workers are worried that AI, automation, and robots could take over their jobs.

A recent poll shows that 18% of workers think they might lose their job in the next five years, up from 15% last year. The fear is even higher in workplaces already using AI, where about 23% of workers are concerned.

Another survey found that around 6 in 10 voters believe AI will replace more jobs than it creates in the coming years.

Some people are already planning ahead. For example, a social worker named Scott Segal is thinking about changing careers because he believes AI will take over many job tasks. He also uses AI tools to help plan his savings for the future.

The survey was done by Gallup in early 2026 with over 23,000 workers in the U.S., showing how common these worries have become.