The survey captures a moment of acute organizational friction. While 97 percent of executives have deployed AI agents, 48 percent now call the rollout a "massive disappointment." Workers cite job loss fears (30 percent), security concerns (28 percent), increased workload (20 percent), and poor implementation strategy (26 percent)—concerns sharpened by real labor market data showing AI drove 25 percent of U.S. job cuts in March 2026. A usage gap has also emerged: 64 percent of executives use AI more than two hours daily, compared to 28 percent of employees, suggesting the technology is being imposed rather than adopted.
For in-house counsel and compliance teams, the findings signal mounting legal and operational risk. Sixty percent of executives plan layoffs targeting non-AI users, and 77 percent are excluding them from promotions—creating potential exposure under employment discrimination and retaliation statutes. The deliberate misuse of AI systems and data handling violations documented in the survey also raise questions about internal controls, data governance, and whether current policies adequately address employee resistance as a compliance failure rather than a performance problem.