A recent AI in the workplace sentiment survey conducted by WitnessAI at the 2025 RSA Conference reveals a clear message from employees: AI isn’t the problem—lack of safety is.

Empowerment, Not Fear

When asked to describe their experience with AI in the workplace:

  • 62% said it’s empowering and helps them be more productive.
  • Another 21% said they’re neutral—they don’t see much difference.
  • Only 10% said AI isn’t being used at all in their workplace.

The majority also said AI is already improving how they work:

  • 59% said AI saves time and reduces busy work.
  • Just 14% said it hasn’t changed much.

The Real Concern: Data Exposure

Despite widespread adoption, employees remain uneasy. When asked their top concern about AI at work:

  • 43% selected “accidentally sharing sensitive data”—by far the leading response.
  • Other concerns, such as job loss (14%) or a lack of ethical oversight (11%), were distant seconds.
  • Just 6% said they have no concerns about AI at all.

This highlights a critical trust gap. AI tools are in use, but they aren’t always used securely.

Guardrails Are Missing

When asked about company policies around AI use:

  • Only 17% said their organization has very clear policies and training in place.
  • 43% said policies were only somewhat clear.
  • And 24% said no guardrails exist at all.

This lack of clarity leaves employees uncertain about how to use AI safely, especially when sensitive data is at stake.

What Employees Want

Employees aren’t calling for a halt to AI. They’re asking for support.

When asked what would make them feel safer using AI at work:

  • 35% said “human oversight of AI decisions”.
  • 31% said “access to training and support resources”.
  • 17% said “a dedicated AI adoption team or committee.

They want leadership, education, and checks on automation, not less automation.

Looking Forward

Despite the uncertainty, the outlook remains positive:

  • 55% said they’re optimistic that AI will make work better.
  • 38% said they’re hopeful, if it’s implemented responsibly.
  • Fewer than 3% said they were pessimistic about AI’s future.

The bottom line is that employees are ready for AI. Now, they need their organizations to meet them with clear policy, secure implementation, and human-centered oversight.

At WitnessAI, we help companies create safer AI environments with the guardrails today’s employees are asking for.

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