Executives aren’t just embracing AI; they’re openly planning for it to cost people their jobs. In a new Mercer survey of 12,000 workers, including 825 C-suite leaders, 99% of executives said they expect artificial intelligence to trigger at least some layoffs within the next two years, as they pitch AI as a route to higher returns. Nearly two-thirds believe redesigning work around AI and automation will deliver the biggest payoff, despite earlier research showing most CEOs who’ve adopted AI haven’t yet seen lower costs or higher revenue, per TechSpot.
After talent scarcity, executives ranked digital acceleration, including AI, as the biggest driver influencing their plans, though only 32% think their organizations can optimally blend people and machines. Workers seem to be feeling the strain. The share of employees Mercer classifies as “thriving” has slid from 66% in 2024 to 44% in 2026, a drop tied to job-loss fears, thinner staffing, and uneven access to AI tools and training. More than a third say they’d consider quitting if they felt left behind on AI training. The findings land as tech-sector job cuts linked to AI have already topped 144,000 this year, according to layoff tracker TrueUp. It predicts more than 220,000 more job losses by the end of the year, for a nearly 50% increase over 2025, per Inc.
