AI boosts worker speed but creates friction with employees, MetLife study finds
Employers see clear productivity gains from artificial intelligence tools, but the technology is also sparking distrust between management and workers, according to a new report from MetLife.
The financial services firm surveyed human resources decision-makers and employees across three studies conducted between October 2025 and January 2026. The findings reveal a disconnect: 83% of HR leaders said AI helps employees work faster, yet 67% acknowledged the technology is "creating new points of friction and mistrust."
Todd Katz, head of U.S. group benefits at MetLife, identified the core tensions. "We heard concern about job dislocation," he said. "We heard concern about the need to adapt, and so that's creating friction - friction between the employer and the employee."
What employees worry about
Worker concerns run deep. More than 61% of employees surveyed expressed worry about ethical and safety risks, including bias, misinformation, and lack of accountability.
Nearly 59% feared AI would make their jobs obsolete. One in four employees said they feel pressure to compete directly with AI at work.
The preparation gap
Nela Richardson, chief economist for HR and payroll services company ADP, said alleviating these concerns requires more than installing new tools. "It takes business processes. It takes change management. It takes leveling up your workforce, upskilling your talent, so that they are ready for these tools as well," she said.
A separate survey from BetterUp Labs and Stanford Social Media Lab found that 53% of U.S. workers have received what researchers call "workslop" - AI-generated content that appears polished but lacks substance. About 40% of workers encountered this low-quality output in the previous month.
Kate Niederhoffer, chief scientist at BetterUp Labs, said the practice creates real friction. "It's adding extra burden, extra time, extra toll, extra judgment and a lower likelihood of working with the people who are creating it," she said. The problem compounds when colleagues must spend time cleaning up hastily generated AI work instead of collaborating on substantive tasks.
HR teams implementing AI tools should consider exploring AI for CHROs (Chief Human Resources Officers) to better understand deployment strategies that address workforce readiness and employee concerns.
Your membership also unlocks:
