“Star Trek”, the science fiction series created in 1966 by Gene Roddenberry, was so successful that its popularity spanned to people who aren’t typically sci-fi fans. Take the phrase “resistance is futile,” which is widely recognized in the American vernacular as a novel way of suggesting that any attempt to oppose something will fail. Though most people are familiar with the phrase, true Trekkies and sci-fi fans know that its origin was the 1996 film “Star Trek: First Contact”, when it was repeatedly used by the Borg — a group of beings who assimilate other species.Ironically, the business world knows a little something about resistance to what was once considered sci-fi. As artificial intelligence (AI) has moved from an imagined idea to reality, some employees are actively resisting the efforts of organizations trying to embrace AI for its benefits and efficiencies. Roots of Resistance Though businesses around the world are embracing AI in a myriad of ways, some employees are not quite on board. From concerns about the possibility of AI replacing jobs to skepticism about the technology’s effectiveness and reliability, some staff are actively resisting the efforts of companies to implement AI strategies. According to a 2025 survey conducted by Writer — a generative AI platform focused on enterprise adoption — 31% of employees admit to actively sabotaging their employer’s generative AI (GenAI) initiatives. The number is even higher among younger generations, with 41% of Millennials and Gen Z employees admitting to such efforts. In fact, 10% of employees say they have actively tampered with AI initiatives in ways such as altering AI performance metrics to make it appear that the technology isn’t living up to expectations, purposely producing low-quality outputs, and outright refusing to utilize GenAI or take part in training for the technology. Additionally, Writer found that 27% of employees have put company information into generative AI tools not approved by their employer, 20% use unapproved AI tools, and 16% have not reported security leaks they are aware of. When it comes to employees’ resistance to AI, there are several reasons people say they are averse to such initiatives:
- 33% of people believe it decreases their creativity and overall value.
- 28% are afraid their job will ultimately be replaced by AI.
- 28% have concerns about security issues.
- 28% believe the quality of the AI tools their company provides is too low.
- 24% say AI adds to their workload.
- 22% believe their employers have done a poor job of executing their AI strategy.
- 20% view AI as unethical and biased.
- 17% say they just don’t like change.
Trends in AI Sentiment and UseWhile this resistance is being felt across sectors, it has particular relevance for industries undergoing rapid digital transformation — including banking. Employee negativity surrounding AI initiatives is something financial institutions need to be aware of, as the banking industry’s adoption of and reliance on such technologies has been ramping up quickly, particularly the usage of GenAI. According to research from Temenos, 75% of banks are currently exploring the use of GenAI. Of that number, 36% are already using GenAI or are already putting initiatives in place, while 39% are still determining which applications they want to use. Usage is only poised to increase, with 43% of financial institutions that are already employing GenAI planning to devote more money and attention to increasing their efforts on this front. Divided perspectives on AI aren’t limited to companies and their employees. According to Pew Research Center, a significant portion of the public is skeptical about AI, specifically the ways that companies are using and implementing it. Pew Research found that AI experts are far more optimistic that the technology will have a positive impact within the US over the next two decades than the general public. Meanwhile, 51% of the public has concerns about the rising usage of AI, compared to only 15% of AI experts. Gender plays a role as well, with women more skeptical of the technology than their male counterparts. Overall, however, 64% of the public believes increased usage of AI will result in fewer jobs over the next 20 years — fears that likely play a major role in the resistance that organizations are facing from employees.Increasing Employee Support for AIDespite skepticism about AI, financial institutions that want to remain competitive will not be able to ignore the technology, particularly as the industry’s largest banks devote increasingly larger amounts of capital to such initiatives. As community financial institutions look to implement or ramp up AI initiatives of their own, the following are a few things to consider that can help increase employee receptiveness to such efforts:
- Involve more employees in AI decisions. Too many organizations contain decision-making regarding AI usage solely to top levels of leadership. If you’re considering AI for a specific role or function, it’s important to invite the employees whose roles will be impacted to the table. Let them voice concerns, offer ideas, and help choose the tool they’ll be using. Roping the impacted staff into the process helps them feel ownership and a sense of control, as long as the leadership team is ready to listen and adjust strategy, based on feedback.
- Emphasize skill-building opportunities. Training needs to be an active part of any AI initiative, and it should be made clear to employees how such technologies can help them in their day-to-day activities. When announcing a new AI use case to impacted staff, emphasize how having these AI capabilities will help the organization as well as provide them marketable skills for future roles.
- Prioritize quality tools and outcomes. Some employees feel distrust of AI tools because of negative experiences with poorly made or simplistic AI platforms that didn’t garner useful results. Ask staff about these experiences and why they felt the tools weren’t effective. Use this information to guide your decisions about which AI tools to consider and which to rule out.
Community financial institutions that want to remain competitive cannot afford to ignore the banking industry’s growing reliance on AI, but implementing AI initiatives needs to be done thoughtfully and intentionally. Failing to actively involve employees in your organization’s AI plans and outline how AI usage will directly benefit people in their jobs could result in significant resistance.
