The Truth About AI at Work (8,800 People Surveyed) | Employment Insiders

AI at work is producing real business gains and real worker problems at the same time. We surveyed 8,800 people across AU, NZ, UK and Canada to explain why. 97% of AI-adopting businesses report measurable gains. 77% of AI-using workers report problems. Both are true at once, and that is the AI Paradox. In this episode of Employment Insiders, host Alicia sits down with Lisa Cowie, Senior Insights and Research Lead at Employment Hero, to unpack the 2026 global findings: why using AI can feel like cheating, whether AI is hitting entry-level jobs, why AI skills now compete with a university degree, and why the workforce's AI experts feel the most anxiety. 👉 See the full AI Paradox at Work report (free): https://employmenthero.com/news/ai-pa... ── What we cover ── 00:00 The two numbers that define the AI Paradox 01:02 What is the AI Paradox at work? 02:08 AI and entry-level jobs? What the data shows 03:35 Why AI skills now beat a degree to employers 05:10 The training gap: workers are upskilling themselves 06:32 Why using AI at work feels like cheating 08:02 Why AI experts feel the most role anxiety 09:49 How AI at work differs across AU, UK, NZ & Canada 13:45 AI as the great equaliser for small business 14:30 What to do Monday morning ── Key findings ── • 42% of AI-using workers say it feels like cheating, while 60% of employers think staff view AI positively. • Companies with AI at their core grew entry-level hiring to 62%, double the rate of non-adopters. • AI skills now rank ahead of prior experience and a degree, and rank first among advanced AI firms. • Half of workers say their employer does little or nothing to help them build AI skills. • The workforce’s AI experts are the most likely to feel replaceable (54% vs 40%). • 39% of small businesses report AI cost savings, almost identical to 41% at large enterprises. ── About the research ── Source: Employment Hero, The AI Paradox at Work (2026). A survey of 3,290 business leaders and 5,454 workers across Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK. ── About Employment Hero ── Employment Hero is the world's first AI Employment Operating System, an all-in-one platform built to manage every aspect of employment, from hire to retire. Find out more: https://employmenthero.com/ 🔔 Subscribe for more Employment Insiders episodes on hiring, HR, payroll and the future of work. #AIatWork #AIParadox #FutureOfWork #HR #AISkills