AI anxiety outpaces workplace transformation

Eight in 10 South Korean office workers worry they will be left behind by AI if they fail to adapt quickly. Yet many organizations have been slower to make the transition, lagging behind global peers despite employees' growing willingness to embrace the technology. The findings highlight a widening gap between workers' enthusiasm for AI and the pace of change within their organizations.

According to Microsoft's 2026 Work Trend Index, based on a survey of 20,000 knowledge workers across 10 countries who use AI on the job and an analysis of trillions of anonymized Microsoft 365 productivity signals, 78% of South Korean respondents said they feared falling behind if they could not adapt quickly to AI. That was 13 percentage points higher than the global average of 65%.

Only 16% of South Korean respondents said their organization's leadership provides a clear and consistent direction for AI, compared with a global average of 26%. Just 7% said employees are rewarded for AI-driven innovation even when it fails to deliver immediate results, also below the global average of 13%.

Microsoft said organizations play a far greater role than individuals in determining whether AI transformation succeeds. Factors such as workplace culture, managerial support and talent development accounted for 67% of successful AI adoption, more than double the influence of individual factors such as mindset, which stood at 32%.

The report said deploying AI tools alone is not enough. To unlock the full benefits of AI, companies must also rethink how they operate and reshape the way work gets done.


한채연 기자 chaezip@donga.com