Mandated use of artificial intelligence tools at work is emerging as a potential driver of resignations, as employees push back against AI systems.

HR technology provider Click Boarding has warned that, rather than producing productivity gains, poorly implemented AI initiatives are quietly fuelling disengagement and prompting some workers to quit.

Its report, conducted in January and February 2026, found that employees said some AI adoption strategies reduce autonomy, add bureaucracy, and make their jobs feel less meaningful.

The findings come as US employee engagement has fallen to its lowest level in a decade, while job‑seeking activity has hit a 10‑year high.

Search data shows a 10% year‑on‑year increase in US searches for "quitting my job," alongside emerging queries such as "made to use AI at work."

"The rapid adoption of AI has many employees, and organisations for that matter, feeling like everything is spinning," said Stephanie Davis Neill, chief operating officer at Click Boarding.

"Even before AI, change management has always been one of the most challenging aspects of running a business, especially for HR professionals who are often looked at to lead these efforts. Just like AI must learn, so do the employees working with it. It is a process, not just a switch to turn on."

Common AI complaints

But another problem is the sharp disconnect between employer and employee perceptions.

Only four per cent of employers reported employee resistance as a barrier to AI adoption, yet nearly a quarter of workers (22%) said they would consider leaving a job if forced to use AI tools in ways they did not support.

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