Generative AI Backlash: 38% of Workers Would Remove It, Yet 67% Want Their Companies to Use More

A new Adaptavist survey of 2,500 knowledge workers across five countries reveals a striking paradox: workers are frustrated with generative AI in practice, yet broadly supportive of its expansion in principle.

The Gap Between Rollout and Reality

The study covering workers in the UK, US, Canada, Germany, and Spain found that 65% of respondents feel nostalgic for how work operated before generative AI became widespread, and 38% would remove the tools altogether if given the choice. Younger workers were more likely to want AI removed: 40% of Gen Z and Millennials said so, compared with 29% of Baby Boomers.

Among those who would remove AI, the top concerns were reduced creativity (31%), misuse (29%), and surveillance and privacy (28%).

The Verification Burden Is Real

One of the clearest signals in the data: 42% of workers now spend more time checking and verifying AI-generated content than they save by using the tools. Nearly half (49%) said poor-quality AI output was slowing their projects, and 55% said it was reducing overall team efficiency.

Key Takeaways

• Adoption metrics do not equal impact metrics — Adaptavist's AI Innovation Lead Neal Riley argues that organisations focus on who is using AI and how often, rather than whether it improves the work itself.
• Performance pressure is a driver of use — A quarter of workers said they use AI simply to meet workload demands; 23% said they use it to keep pace with colleagues.
• 67% still want more AI — Despite the frustration, support for broader AI use remains high, pointing to an implementation problem rather than a fundamental rejection of the technology.

The findings suggest that enterprises succeeding at AI rollout may be failing at workplace acceptance, a gap that governance, training, and clearer purpose-setting could address.

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