BUCHAREST, May 3: Almost half of Romanian employees (48%) believe that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is an extremely useful tool that simplifies their work, but two-thirds (66%) fear over-reliance on this technology in the workplace, according to a recently published study.
According to data centralized by Genesis Property earlier this year, 56% of respondents believe that AI risks dehumanizing work, 40% treat the technology with caution in terms of its impact on jobs, and 31% even say that it creates anxiety when it comes to long-term job security.
Also, 62% of all those surveyed say that the new technology should be used for decisions that directly affect people, such as evaluations, promotions or dismissals.
At the same time, over half of respondents (53.6%) do not agree with the use of the AI ??tool in assessing emotions, motivation or psychological state, and over 35% believe that interpersonal relationships and team dynamics should remain exclusively human.
At the same time, 29.6% indicate leadership and taking responsibility as areas where decision-making and discernment cannot be delegated to technology, which highlights the need for a balance between automation and the human component.
According to the cited source, although technology contributes to increasing productivity – by automating repetitive tasks (53%), rapid data analysis (40%) and supporting creative activities (28%) – more and more employees believe that there is a need for a recalibration of the way it is used in the office. Thus, almost 55% of those interviewed say that technology should be combined in the office with elements that help them disconnect, from relaxation areas and spaces for connecting with the team to outdoor or indoor offices with natural light, adequate ventilation, plants and other natural elements.
In this context, to avoid digital overload, 34% of employees claim that areas dedicated to collaboration and human interaction without technology are needed.
More than a third (37.3%) of employees say they want an environment that increases efficiency, but keeps decisions in the human zone, and 35.2% want a space where technology is almost invisible. Last but not least, 31.4% of the sample analyzed mention that they want an office that adapts to different work needs, from focus to collaboration or regeneration, which underlines the expectation of a flexible, balanced environment centered on the employee experience.
Regarding the technologies used, 50.8% indicate activity monitoring systems as the main factor of discomfort, while 42.9% are concerned about automated performance evaluations, without a human filter.
The Genesis Property survey on the way of working and professional expectations of employees in 2026 was conducted online, earlier this year, on a total sample of 1,146 Internet users in Romania, of which over 53% were men, 76% were employees without management positions and almost 33% had a net income of over 6,000 lei.
