Worried AI agents will replace you? 5 ways you can turn anxiety into action at work

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ZDNET’s key takeaways

• Professionals must engage with the rise of agentic AI.
• Dabbling with agents helps staff see potential benefits.
• Work with colleagues and executives to explore the tech.

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Some employees are anxious that they’re about to be replaced by AI agents. However, while your AI-powered colleagues might have one eye on your job, research suggests that agents have a long way to go before they’re ready to take over the workplace.

Rather than waiting for the agentic revolution, smart professionals are exploring automation with their colleagues to ensure the human stays in the loop during the shift to an AI-enabled organization.

Also: AI agents are fast, loose, and out of control, MIT study finds

If you’re feeling anxious about the rise of agents, here are five ways to start feeling more confident about your automated work partners.

1. Seek out energy spikes

Nick Pearson, CIO at technology specialist Ricoh Europe, recognized that many professionals are anxious about the agentic revolution.

“I think we’re in a concerned bubble,” he said. “The industry is at a moment where we’ve got some frustration kicking in.”

Pearson told ZDNET that some professionals are concerned about the long-term nature of their roles, such as marketing professionals who see agents writing content or Gen Z labor market entrants who question how they can add value in an AI-enabled workplace.

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Professionals who want to feel more confident about agents should gravitate toward people who’ve had positive experiences with AI.

“There are spikes of energy coming from areas where people are seeing gen AI and agents add real value,” he said.

“What I then hope happens, as an optimist on technology, is that frustration and concern are taken away and are replaced with a huge step change in an exponential ability for people to do their jobs.”

Pearson said positive experiences help burst the “concerned bubble” surrounding agentic AI.

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“I think the step change is where you take a sales agent and employees say, ‘Oh, the lead management process has been automated,'” he said.

“And that concern about a job being devalued turns into exponential growth, which is the tipping point for staff feeling more positive about agents.”

2. Reach out to HR colleagues

Andrew Neal, chief people officer at technology and talent solutions provider Nash Squared, said professionals who talk about agents will start to feel less anxious.

“The communication is a really critical piece, making sure people understand that agentic AI isn’t about removing their jobs, it’s about supporting them to work better,” he said.

“AI should be a benefit to people in the business, reducing mundane tasks and cognitive load, not a threat.”

However, Neal recognized that the hype surrounding the impact of emerging technology means it’s unsurprising that people see agents as a threat.

“You’ve got to have real clarity around this issue, otherwise there could naturally be some defensiveness,” he said.

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“It’s then absolutely key to make sure the right support is available to help people use AI tools effectively, whether that’s formal training or self-serve resources at the point of need.”

Neal encouraged professionals to seek professional assistance and told ZDNET that human resources departments can help allay agentic anxieties.

“HR teams should consider AI as no different from any other organizational learning challenge, following well-trodden paths and adopting classic change management strategies, including communicating success stories early and recognizing great practice.”

3. Share best practices

Richard Corbridge, CIO at property specialist Segro, said the best way to feel comfortable is to be proactive, so you and your colleagues know what’s coming next.

“What we did was that we gave the technology to everybody, and we told them what it was and how to use it at a really high level,” he said, referring to the rollout of Copilot technology.

“We used what we call knowledge nibbles, which are five-minute videos to go online and see what the technology is, this is what you can do with it, and this is what other people have used it for.”

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Corbridge told ZDNET that the biggest success often comes through professionals sharing advice.

“Our executive and personal assistants created their own working group to share best-practice things they’ve learned about how to get more out of Copilot when it’s sat alongside them, rather than somebody running a course that says these are the things you can do.”

In fact, Corbridge said you can’t be proactive enough when it comes to making people feel comfortable with AI agents. He encouraged professionals to adopt a wide education process.

“We have done almost every style of learning opportunity to try and get people to realize what AI can do and how it can be used, ranging from half a day training courses through to these five-minute knowledge nibbles, through to have a go and come and shout at me if you think you need a hand.”

4. Look for leadership

Ankur Anand, CIO at Nash Squared, said it’s important to remember that agents are here to help you, not replace you.

“The whole purpose of AI is to act as an enabler that makes people more productive,” he said. “For that to be the case, people must have trust in AI — and that comes from transparency and good governance.”

Anand encouraged professionals to look to senior leaders, who should clearly communicate what AI will and won’t be used for, and how humans will interact with it.

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Decision rights and guardrails need to be defined. Then it’s about ensuring the right underlying data feeds the models to create high-quality outputs.

“If the quality isn’t good, staff will rapidly lose trust. Clear feedback loops are a key mechanism for helping users flag any issues of inaccuracy, hallucinations, or bias,” Anand told ZDNET.

“Making sure that people know they have a voice and can influence how this transformation develops is key in building confidence and engagement.”

5. Make agents part of your team

Simone Larsson, head of enterprise AI at Lenovo EMEA, said professionals should search for small ways to make agents feel like part of the team.

“Successful organizations are balancing the dichotomy between the autonomy of agents and human oversight by starting small and taking an iterative approach,” she said.

“You don’t necessarily have to take on the biggest projects, the most complex projects, to obtain proof of value.”

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Larsson told ZDNET that successful organizations look for high-volume tasks with clear definitions of when and where humans need to step in.

“They’re really shaping the project brief to make sure that it’s the right fit as a starting point,” she said.

“Once they’ve got proof of value, they’re looking at how to manage AI agents centrally. They look at how to maintain control, keep the human in the loop, and use agents securely and consistently.”

Larsson said these organizations also test carefully. Rather than look for shortcuts to production releases, they scale agents when processes are mature and teams are ready.

“We need to remember that the human that’s in the loop needs the skills to understand how AI works, how the agentic team works, and how to manage the risks, especially if the technology goes astray,” she said.

“Professionals need to create a secure, continuous monitoring environment with cross-functional oversight to build a strong foundation for agentic teams.”