Think you don’t know much about AI compared to your coworkers? You aren’t alone, as most executives and tech workers in the UK and the US pretend to know more about AI than they actually do.

This is according to Pluralsight, which surveyed 1,200 technology decision-makers and practitioners in the US and the UK, revealing that the tech industry is rife with AI paradoxes.

Despite 95% of tech executives citing AI skills as crucial for ensuring job security, 61% of tech workers said that using generative AI tools for work is seen as ‘lazy’ at their company.

“In addition to the systemic misrepresentation of AI knowledge, Pluralsight also found that AI is complicating perceptions about how work is getting done,” said Chris McClellen, chief product and technology officer at Pluralsight.

“Fears about AI supplanting jobs is becoming the new norm and employees are quietly worried that using AI in their daily routine looks lazy. In this paradigm, organizations need to empower their workforce with AI training to truly drive innovation, enhance productivity, and stay competitive in the evolving digital landscape.”

Fake It Till You Make It?

The survey found that employees and executives alike aren’t always upfront about their AI knowledge. About one in eight (80% in the US, 77% in the UK) of employees admit to pretending to know more about AI than they actually do. However, the boss might be telling the tallest tales: C-suite executives admit to exaggerating even more – a whopping 91% – by pretending to have AI knowledge they don’t possess.

To combat employee insecurities over their AI knowledge, over half of companies are offering dedicated training to upskill staff in AI. That means they’re pretending for now, but it won’t be long before they’re truly knowledgeable on the subject.

Fear of Replacement

Whether you’re an executive or tech professional, the fear of your role being replaced by AI runs deep. Nine in ten (90%) of workers were said that losing their roles to AI was at least somewhat likely.

People are more afraid of being replaced by AI than they were a year ago when Pluralsight released its 2024 AI Skills Report, with 19% more respondents indicating that they felt it was ‘very likely’ their role could be replaced by AI in the 2025 report.

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Despite the fact that nearly half of organisations (49%) have actually added AI-related jobs, companies are still developing five year plans that include AI-driven staff reductions. By 2030, workers should expect the most impact in departments that handle analytics (41% US, 36% UK), content creation (40% UK, 37% U.S.), billing (39% UK, 36% U.S.), marketing (36% in both markets), and sales (35% in both markets).

AI Survival Skills

In the midst of fears about being replaced by AI, there is an almost unanimous (95%) agreement among tech executives – having AI skills is the ‘best way’ to ensure job security.

And this seems supported, as 50% of employers list AI skills as ‘highly preferred’ when looking for talent, while 20% list them as ‘mandatory.’ Additionally, 84% of companies said they would likely replace or outsource talent to support AI initiatives when they lack internal talent.

Tech workers feel the pressure to keep their skills sharp. Respondents are significantly more concerned (74% to 91%) about their skills becoming obsolete due to AI than they indicated in the 2024 AI Skills Report – a 17% jump. The message in the data is clear – tech workers must make AI upskilling a priority in order to thrive in an increasingly AI-driven landscape.