Half of GenZ Feel Guilty Using AI at Work Despite Growing Employer Demand
- 5 Min Read
AI skills have become one of the UK’s most sought-after hiring attributes, yet many younger employees still feel uncomfortable using the technology at work. New global research from Employment Hero reveals that half of Gen Z workers experience “AI guilt”, with many using AI without their employer’s knowledge. The findings highlight the growing need for clear AI policies, practical guidance and responsible workplace governance.
- Author: HRD Connect
- Date published: Jul 9, 2026
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Artificial intelligence has rapidly become one of the most sought-after workplace skills. Yet for many younger employees, using it still feels like breaking an unwritten rule.
New global research from Employment Hero, The AI Paradox at Work, reveals a growing disconnect between employer expectations and employee behaviour. While AI skills have entered the top five attributes UK employers now look for when hiring, many GenZ workers remain reluctant to use AI openly, creating what researchers describe as a new phenomenon: AI guilt.
The findings suggest organisations may have reached a turning point. AI adoption is no longer being limited by technology, but by workplace culture, governance and a lack of clear guidance around responsible use.
AI skills are now a hiring priority
The research, based on responses from more than 6,500 workers and 3,200 business leaders across the UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand, found that 64% of UK employers say AI has changed what they look for in candidates.
For the first time, AI skills now rank among the top five hiring attributes, ahead of previous work experience.
Employers continue to prioritise work ethic, communication skills, the ability to learn quickly and digital literacy. However, AI capability has quickly become an important differentiator as organisations increasingly embed generative AI into everyday work.
The findings reflect a broader trend across the labour market. According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025, AI literacy, technological proficiency and analytical thinking are among the fastest-growing skills employers expect to need over the coming decade.
Employees still feel uncomfortable using AI
Despite growing demand for AI capability, many younger workers remain uncertain about using it openly.
Employment Hero found that 50% of GenZ employees feel guilty using AI at work, while 52% believe using AI to complete parts of their job feels like cheating.
The uncertainty is driving what the report describes as shadow AI. More than four in ten (42%) GenZ employees said they use AI without their employer’s knowledge, while the same proportion admitted presenting AI-generated work as their own.
The findings suggest the issue is not resistance to AI, but uncertainty over what constitutes acceptable use.
Without clear expectations, employees appear to be developing AI capability privately rather than as part of structured organisational learning.
A generation is teaching itself AI
The research also challenges assumptions that younger workers lack enthusiasm for AI.
More than four in five (81%) GenZ employees said they have taught themselves AI skills through social media and online platforms, while 58% said they feel positive about AI becoming a larger part of working life. Only one in four expressed concern about AI’s growing role in the workplace.
At the same time, 37% of workers reported that entry-level roles now require AI knowledge, while 23% believe their own AI skills are not yet strong enough to compete in an increasingly AI-driven labour market.
The findings suggest younger employees recognise AI as an essential career skill but are receiving limited guidance on how to use it confidently and responsibly at work.
Workplace culture has not caught up with AI
Kevin Fitzgerald, UK Managing Director at Employment Hero, believes organisations need to create greater clarity around AI use rather than leaving employees to develop their own informal practices.
“There is a real contradiction emerging for young workers. They are being told that AI skills will be critical to their careers, and many are clearly enthusiastic about building those skills, but they still feel guilty when they actually use the tools.”
He added:
“When half of GenZ feel guilty using AI at work, and more than four in ten are doing so without their employer’s knowledge, it shows that workplace norms have not yet caught up with employee behaviour.”
Rather than discouraging AI use, Fitzgerald argues organisations should normalise responsible adoption.
“AI shouldn’t feel like cheating. It should feel like using any other tool that helps people do their jobs better.”
From AI adoption to AI governance
As organisations move beyond AI experimentation, attention is increasingly shifting towards governance, capability and responsible implementation.
Employment Hero argues that organisations should provide employees with clear policies, practical training and explicit permission to use AI appropriately rather than relying on broad encouragement.
The company recommends encouraging employees to be transparent about AI use, providing structured guidance on where AI should and should not be used, and treating AI literacy as a professional capability rather than a shortcut.
The recommendations align with broader industry thinking. Microsoft’s 2025 Work Trend Index found that organisations achieving the greatest value from AI are those investing as heavily in people, skills and change management as they are in technology itself. Similarly, Deloitte’s 2025 Global Human Capital Trends report argues that sustainable AI adoption depends on building trust, governance and human capability alongside technological investment.
The next challenge is cultural, not technical
The findings suggest many organisations have entered a new phase of AI adoption.
The question is no longer whether employees are using AI. Increasingly, they already are.
The challenge is whether organisations have created the culture, governance and confidence for employees to use AI openly, responsibly and consistently.
As AI skills become an increasingly important requirement for career progression, employers may need to shift their focus from encouraging adoption to defining what good AI use actually looks like.
Those that provide clear expectations, structured learning and responsible guardrails are likely to be better positioned to develop an AI-capable workforce without driving innovation into the shadows.
