How to Help Your People be AI Confident

AI is everywhere at work right now.

Some employees are excited by it.
Some are nervous.
Most are quietly using it… and hoping no one judges them for it.

That tension is more common than you might think.

Recent research shows that four in five workers now use some form of AI in their day-to-day role. More than half regularly rely on AI assistants to save time. Yet confidence hasn’t kept pace with adoption.

The confidence gap no one’s talking about

Many employees worry that using AI makes them look lazy, careless, or untrustworthy. Others feel judged or second-guessed by colleagues when they admit they rely on it.

So while people trust AI to help them work better, they don’t always trust how others will react.

That’s a problem — because AI isn’t here to replace people. It’s here to support them.

Used well, AI frees your team to focus on strategy, creativity, and problem-solving — the work humans do best. But that only happens when people feel confident using it.

Training hasn’t caught up

Here’s the issue: only one in three workers has received any formal AI training.

Most people are learning by trial and error. That uncertainty leads to mistakes, hesitation, and mistrust — especially among junior staff. While around 70% of managers feel confident using AI, that figure drops to roughly a third for less senior employees.

Without guidance, confidence stalls.

Culture makes the difference

The solution doesn’t start with software. It starts with culture.

Business owners and leaders need to make one thing clear:
Using AI isn’t cheating. It’s smart working.

Create an environment where experimenting with AI is encouraged — not judged. Give people permission to learn openly and share what works.

That might mean:

• Formal AI training
• Internal workshops
• Simple “show and tell” sessions where staff explain how they’re using AI to make work easier

When people feel supported instead of scrutinized, confidence grows naturally.

Confidence today, capability tomorrow

AI confidence doesn’t appear overnight. But when your team feels trusted and equipped, adoption accelerates.

The payoff?
Better efficiency.
More creativity.
And a workforce that’s ready for the future — instead of worried about it.