The future of AI in the workplace might be accelerating, but workers’ trust in that future isn’t keeping pace. New research from SHL reveals a sharp AI trust gap among U.S. employees, uncovering a workforce that is curious about artificial intelligence yet skeptical about how employers are using it.
According to SHL’s survey of more than 1,000 working adults, 74% say being interviewed by an AI agent would change their perception of a company, underscoring the tension between innovation and impersonality.
Most respondents are willing to interact with AI interviewers—but only if humans remain involved, accountable, and transparent throughout the process.
Workers Are Curious About AI—But They Don’t Fully Trust Employers
The findings surface a consistent theme: Americans remain uneasy about employers’ intentions and capabilities when deploying AI. While AI’s efficiency and consistency are appealing, trust is low. Only 27% of workers say they fully trust their employers to use AI responsibly.
More concerning, 59% believe AI is making bias worse, not better.
The desire for human oversight is clear:
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56% prefer humans to review job applications
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58% prefer humans to evaluate performance
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53% fear AI will erode the “human touch”
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21% would prefer a return to a pre-AI workplace
SHL Chief Science Officer Sara Gutierrez said employers can’t take a silent-by-default approach to AI adoption. “AI can quickly shape the perception of a company as either innovative or impersonal,” she noted. Responsible AI, paired with transparency and human oversight, is what ultimately builds trust.
“Trust in AI Has Not Kept Pace With Its Deployment”
Gutierrez emphasized that employees don’t object to AI outright—they object to opaque AI. Workers want clarity on:
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How AI tools make decisions
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How bias is monitored and corrected
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Who is accountable for final outcomes
“Fairness and transparency aren’t optional extras,” Gutierrez said. “Humans still need to set the rules, review the evidence, and own the final decisions.”
A Workforce Ready to Upskill—But Unsure What “AI Skills” Mean
Despite skepticism, workers are not resisting AI itself. Nearly half are ready to upskill:
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48% are willing to take online AI courses
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29% are willing to use personal time to build AI fluency
But one in four workers say they don’t actually know what “AI skills” are. Employees are motivated—they’re just missing guidance.
Gutierrez called this a critical moment for employers: “When companies invest in real, human-centered upskilling, they don’t just build capability—they build employability, confidence, and trust.”
Where Employers Go From Here
The research suggests a clear mandate for organizations using AI in talent workflows:
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Be transparent about purpose, design, and use
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Provide human oversight for decisions affecting careers
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Offer structured AI-skills development so workers can stay competitive
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Actively measure and audit fairness
As companies head into 2025 with more AI-infused workflows than ever, trust will increasingly determine whether these technologies succeed or spark resistance.
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Business Wire, a Berkshire Hathaway company, is the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure. Public relations, investor relations, public policy and marketing professionals rely on Business Wire for secure and accurate distribution of market-moving news and multimedia. Founded in 1961, Business Wire is a trusted source for news organizations, journalists, investment professionals and regulatory authorities, delivering news directly into editorial systems and leading online news sources via its multi-patented NX network. Business Wire’s global newsrooms are available to meet the needs of communications professionals and news media worldwide.
