02/09/2026
During the recent ACS South Australia webinar, Digital Wellbeing in the Age of AI, digital wellbeing expert Audrey Muliva presented attendees with a scenario increasingly relevant to workplaces:
AI agents are being introduced, and an employee has begun quietly disengaging because they fear becoming obsolete. What should a leader do first?
The fear of becoming obsolete (or FOBO) is a reality a lot of workers fear, and not just in Australia. Ipsos found 44% of employees across 50 countries were concerned about AI’s impact on their job security. The World Economic Forum goes on to estimate that labour-market shifts, including technological, economic, demographic and green-transition forces could create 170 million roles and displace 92 million by 2030; which is still a net gain of 78 million roles.
These are signals, not destiny, and why workers must help shape the transition.
The anonymous responses to the question revealed some clear and central themes on how to quell employee concerns;
- Listen and understand their concerns.
- Provide transparency around how AI will be used.
- Invest in training and upskilling.
- Demonstrate how AI can enhance rather than simply replace human capability.
Perhaps most importantly, participants repeatedly returned to the human element of technological change, putting the focus on supporting people rather than prioritising the technology.
The opportunity is real. But the journey begins with removing fear and leaning into opportunity responsibly. The antidote to FOBO is not mere acknowledgment. It is participation, psychological safety, role clarity and human-centred leadership.
Thank you to Audrey and everyone who contributed to such an insightful discussion.
How would you approach this conversation in your workplace?
