Your AI rollout has a trust problem—here's how to fix it
For many leaders anxious to capitalize on the productivity gains promised by AI, this moment feels like an important opportunity. But most workers are seeing warning lights.
A recent report from the Pew Research Center confirms that many workers are feeling anxiety about how AI will affect their jobs. In fact, nearly 70 percent believe AI will have a major impact on their work in the next 20 years—but only 28 percent think that impact will be positive.
So it shouldn’t be surprising that adoption isn’t keeping pace with capability. According to a McKinsey report from just this month, only one percent of company executives describe their GenAI rollouts as “mature." While many companies are experimenting, very few have fully integrated these tools into their workflows to achieve real business outcomes. The tools are there. Where are the users?
The real issue is that employees are skeptical of their leaders, and they don’t believe their companies have their best interests at heart. Before we can talk about productivity gains or industry transformations, we have to talk about trust—in leadership, and in the systems being put in place to manage the impacts of AI. Because when the ground is shifting this fast, anxiety and misinformation tend to fill in whatever gaps in transparency and communication exist.
This moment isn’t just about onboarding a transformative new technology—it’s about guiding people through maybe the most significant mindset shift of their careers.
Here are five practical ways to help your team navigate the anxiety around AI:
1. Acknowledge the fear
Saying your team shouldn’t be worried doesn’t make the fear go away—it just drives it underground. Make formal space for honest conversations. Let people air their concerns. Show empathy before offering reassurance.
2. Frame AI as augmentation, not replacement (and mean it)
Most people don’t fear new technology—they fear being made obsolete. Make it clear that the company's goal is to use AI to amplify human potential, not replace it. Talk about AI as a tool for reducing their grunt work and making their lives easier. You can talk about this honestly: most organizations don't know enough yet about how their businesses operate at a process level to expect an AI agent to take over.
3. Turn AI enthusiasts into peer reporters for credibility
Fear shrinks when familiarity grows. Let teams play with AI tools in low-risk environments, spaces where it's safe to experiment, learn—and fail. Set up pilot programs for people enthusiastic about bringing AI’s capabilities into their teams, and then create space for them to report back to the larger organization.
4. Help people see their value beyond their technical skills
One of the most powerful ways to help people through times of change is to show them what doesn’t change. Invest in training that brings out their natural creativity, empathy, and critical thinking—the skills that make them uniquely valuable in an AI-powered workplace. "AI literacy" may be the number one "skill on the rise" according to LinkedIn, but there's a reason "adaptability" is third.
5. Model curiosity, and reward the learning process
You don’t have to be an AI expert to lead through this moment effectively. You just have to be willing to explore, learn out loud, and show that adapting is part of the job. When leaders model humility and curiosity—and reward the learning process, not just the outcomes—people follow.
Trust Is the AI Competitive Advantage
Anxiety about AI won’t disappear on its own. Leaders who show up with empathy, clarity, and vision will not only ease the fear—they’ll unlock a wave of creativity and engagement from their people. New AI tools can only move as fast as the people willing to give them a shot.
How are you helping your team make sense of this AI moment? Are you finding more excitement or anxiety about what’s coming? Drop your stories in the comments, and let us reward your learning process.
Reach out to 18 Coffees for consulting help with AI-related transformation and change.
