Italian
“GenAI Anxiety” is growing: nearly 1 in 2 managers fear for their jobs. Experts say: “The answer is not panic, but training on the tools.”
ITALY – The generative artificial intelligence revolution scares managers more than employees. According to an international study conducted by Espresso Communication on sources including the recent Boston Consulting Group’s AI at Work survey, 46% of managers working in highly innovative companies fear losing their jobs due to AI. This percentage drops to 34% in less digitalized environments, but on average remains at 43%: almost one manager out of two.
Paradoxically, lower-level employees – even though they are the most exposed to the risk of replacement – declare themselves less worried (36%). This discrepancy, experts explain, depends on the different degree of familiarity with the tools: three-quarters of managers use them regularly, compared to just 51% of employees.
“Those who know better the potential of generative AI also perceive the risks, while those who ignore it risk falling behind,” observe Giacinto Fiore and Pasquale Viscanti, founders of the community Intelligenza Artificiale Spiegata Semplice (Artificial Intelligence Explained Simply). Not by chance, they add, the history of industrial revolutions teaches us that fear grows precisely when technology spreads.
The role of leadership, BCG emphasizes, is decisive: when managers openly support the use of AI, the percentage of employees with a positive opinion rises from 15% to 55%. Yet, only one-third of workers say they have received specific training from their company.
To fill this gap, Fiore and Viscanti have launched Generative AI WEEK, scheduled from November 17 to 21, 2025, on the AI Play platform: five days of free online training on the main tools currently in use, from Gemini to Midjourney, from ChatGPT to Canva and Agentspace.
“The best way to face GenAI Anxiety is not to avoid it, but to learn to use these tools in a practical and inclusive way,” explain the promoters. “Only in this way can AI become an ally capable of easing operational tasks and improving work quality.”
