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AI At Work3 mins read
AI Workplace Sentiment Is Turning Negative in Employee Reviews
Glassdoor review analysis cited by The Decoder shows worker sentiment around AI has worsened sharply since 2019, with frustration tied to forced adoption, surveillance, job-loss fears, and productivity pressure.
The headline shift: AI comments are getting more negative
A Glassdoor analysis cited by The Decoder shows positive AI sentiment in U.S. employee reviews fell from 81 percent in 2019 to 43 percent by mid-2026, while negative comments rose to 53 percent. AI is also becoming a more common workplace topic: mentions in U.S. reviews jumped 240 percent from May 2025 to May 2026. The key takeaway for employers is that adoption alone is not enough; workers are judging whether AI is useful, supported, and realistic in day-to-day work.
Managers are upbeat, but exposed roles are often frustrated
Executives are described as the most AI-positive group, while software architects mention AI more than any other role and mostly rate it positively. Software engineers are more skeptical, with 57 percent of their comments skewing negative. Insurance claims workers rate employer AI efforts almost entirely negatively, and writers, accountants, and customer service representatives also lean critical by a four-to-one ratio.
Job-loss fear is only one part of the backlash
Fear of job loss is the single most common negative theme, accounting for 20 percent of negative comments, but the criticism is broader. Some workers say companies force them to use AI, while others describe AI as a distraction from core business or something that worsens customer experience. Reviews also cite workplace surveillance, alienating internal AI use, and unrealistic productivity expectations from managers.
Young women are the most skeptical group in the data
The analysis shows a clear gender and generation divide. Men rate AI positively 45 percent of the time, compared with 32 percent for women; Gen X is the most receptive at 47 percent positive, followed by millennials at 40 percent and Gen Z at 33 percent. The sharpest split is among younger workers: only 21 percent of AI comments from Gen Z women are positive, compared with 42 percent from Gen Z men.
What leaders should take from the data
The findings suggest workplace AI programs need more than tool rollouts and productivity targets. Positive reviews mostly come from workers at companies benefiting from the AI boom or from employees who say their employer provides tools, training, and support. The article also notes an important caveat: Glassdoor reviews do not represent the entire U.S. workforce, and unhappy workers may be more likely to post reviews, making the trend over time more meaningful than any single raw figure.
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