The gap between tech workers who use AI and those who don’t has moved past “career disadvantage” territory and into something more alarming: actual job loss. Gallup’s latest workplace research reveals that tech workers who engage with AI less than once a month are three times more likely to have been laid off compared to those who use it at least monthly.

The numbers paint a stark picture

According to Gallup’s Q1 2026 data, 18% of US workers believe their job is somewhat or very likely to be eliminated within five years due to technology, AI, or automation. That number climbs to 23% among employees at organizations that are actively adopting AI. And within the tech sector itself, 31% of workers harbor those fears.

Just 15% of workers were worried about tech-driven job obsolescence back in 2021. By 2024, that figure had risen to 22%.

Daily AI usage across the broader workforce still averages only 8-10%. The heaviest users tend to be leaders and those in white-collar or remote-capable roles.

Why millions of workers still aren’t using AI

Between 38% and 43% of non-users cite data privacy and security concerns as their primary barrier. Another 36-46% of non-users simply prefer their current workflows.

Frequent AI use at work has nearly doubled across tracked cohorts over the past two years, but the adoption curve favors those who already had digital fluency, organizational support, and job roles that naturally lend themselves to AI experimentation.

What this means for companies and investors

The 31% anxiety rate within the tech sector suggests that even at AI-forward companies, morale and retention could become issues if employees feel they’re in a perpetual skills arms race with no finish line.

For individual workers, the privacy concerns are valid. The workflow preferences are understandable. But the data now says that staying on the sidelines carries a measurable, threefold increase in the risk of losing your job.