New research finds there’s a growing chance that top performers at companies lacking an AI strategy will start to plan their exit soon.
By John Woods
AI is changing more than how people work. It is changing how workers think about their skills, their confidence, and their next career move. This year’s University of Phoenix’s Career Optimism Index® study suggests that while many workers may be staying put for now, they are also using AI to prepare for what comes next—and employers should pay attention.
Gaining Confidence
The 2026 Career Optimism Index® study shows just how much AI is helping American workers in their day-to-day roles. One of the bright spots in this year’s report is how positive workers feel about their current jobs: 80% feel satisfied, while 50% say their optimism about their career has improved. Perhaps most importantly, 52% feel their sense of control over their career has improved.
The data suggest AI is one reason workers are gaining confidence. As workers use and grow more comfortable with these quickly evolving tools, it’s helping them learn. Nearly 3 in 4 (73%) agree that using AI at work has helped close knowledge gaps and reduce their need for additional education/training. Indeed, 79% agree AI increases their confidence in taking on stretch assignments or responsibilities outside of their role.
This increased confidence may explain why nearly half of all working Americans (49%) are actively looking for, or expect to be actively looking for, a new job. This is excellent news for workers—as well as an important signal for employers. As employees realize what AI has to offer them, one of those benefits might just be enough confidence to start looking elsewhere.
Ahead of the Curve
It’s understandable why so many workers are embracing AI. An overwhelming 80% of American workers agree that using AI to assist in completing their work has improved their work-life balance, while even more (87%) agree it has improved their productivity. That’s a powerful combination of being able to get more done while feeling better doing it, and it adds up to more than just peace of mind—it’s giving workers new perspective on their careers, especially in terms of just how much AI is giving them room to grow. Indeed, AI has become such a powerful tool for American workers that about half (49%) agree that AI has expanded what they believe is possible for their career.
That confidence is great news for workers and employers alike, with investments in AI not just reflecting big picture changes, but the day-to-day value of technological innovation. Workers have been hearing for a long time about what AI can do for them, and now that those gains feel real. As the data reveals the how and why behind those gains, workers may finally have pushed through the earliest barriers to adoption and are envisioning a new AI-powered future.
But while workers feel positively about their abilities, they’re not seeing their organizations keep up with their own progress. Just 27% have access to the newest AI-enabled tools, and even fewer have training on how to use AI in their careers (26%) or how to best integrate AI into their work tasks (25%). With workers realizing how much value these tools have not just for their day-to-day, but their long-term goals, there’s a very real chance that workers at companies lagging behind in AI strategy will start to plan their exit.
Another way to put it: 54% of respondents agree that not knowing how to use AI would put them at a disadvantage. If workers don’t believe their employer can keep up with AI, they may start to suspect that they’ve outgrown their workplace, and will look for new options for bringing their newly realized AI-powered potential to life.
78% of workers agree they would stay with their company throughout their career if they had more opportunities to apply new skills, such as AI.
Solution Mindset
Despite all the advances AI has brought into employees’ lives and careers, businesses are not keeping up: 75% of workers don’t currently have access to best integrate AI into their work tasks, while 73% don’t currently have access to the newest AI-enabled tools.
But perhaps most importantly is that too many lack the opportunity to fully develop their AI skills. A notable 74% are not currently offered training on how to use AI in their career. This lack of training widens the gap between what workers want and want employers provide, a disconnect that contributes to retention concerns as those most adept and interested in AI start to consider other options. In other words, retaining employees in a new age of AI mobility means organizations need to make their commitment to advancement and innovation crystal clear.
This means not only establishing AI strategies, use policies, and tools—it also means providing employees training opportunities, putting AI into practice in their daily lives, and creating new career development pathways for workers using AI. This is made especially evident by the 59% of employees who admit they need support learning new skills related to AI—the largest gap we have seen in the six years we have been conducting this survey. That is a significant missed opportunity for employers, especially considering not only AI’s transformative business power, but also its ability to drive retention: 78% of workers agree they would stay with their company throughout their career if they had more opportunities to apply new skills, such as AI.
Supporting workers with articulated AI strategy, tools, and real-world training will be central to retaining talent in the years ahead. The organizations best positioned to retain talent will be those that treat AI as a people strategy, not a tech strategy. Now is the time for employers to step up and offer their employees the AI tools and support they need—or their workers may just leave them behind.
John Woods, Ph.D., is provost and chief academic officer for the University of Phoenix.
