The "AI Teammate Mindset" is catching on, but new research shows if you're still resisting, the real risk isn't AI; it's when your coworker uses it better.
As more employees use AI in their daily work, apprehension is giving way to cautious optimism. The turning point has been a subtle reframing: AI is no longer something that works for us, but something that works with us. As more employees adopt the “AI teammate mindset,” experts now predict AI will become your “favorite coworker" in 2026. But are workers buying the AI teammate mentality concept? And what happens if you resist it? Experts say if your coworkers are onboard and you’re not, the risk is that you fall behind.
In 2023, I wrote a story for Forbes.com about American workers gripped by anxiety over artificial intelligence—fearing it would replace jobs, erode trust and ultimately unravel the human fabric of work.
In January of this year, I wrote another story noting that the fear is shifting and employees are feeling more comfortable. Nearly ever expert I’ve spoken to predicts that AI will be a constant presence in the workday by the end of this year.
If you’re still holding out, worried that AI will replace you, workplace experts suggest you cold be putting your career at risk. The real risk isn’t automation. It’s becoming invisible next to someone who knows how to use AI strategically.
AI Teammate mentality doesn’t mean a humanoid robot will pull up a chair beside you to collaborate. “AI as coworker” is a metaphor meant to reassure workers that while AI may redefine roles, it doesn’t erase the need for people.
Companies from OpenAI and Anthropic to Asana are betting big on the concept of AI “coworkers.” According to Slingshot’s Digital Work Trends Report, C-suite executives (41%) are embracing AI as another member of the team, but employees aren’t sold. They still view AI more as a helpful tool (52%) than as a coworker (20%).
Even Gen Z (28%) and Millennial (24%) employees—the most likely to view AI as a teammate—see the tech’s collaborative potential as a competitive threat, with 19% of Gen Zers and 17% of Millennials expressing concern over being replaced with AI.
Another study from Checkr also finds a gap dividing managers and employees on AI in 2026. The report shows that 64% of managers feel pressure to adopt AI to stay competitive, compared with 38% of employees. And 58% of managers agree that AI is becoming an unspoken job requirement, compared to only 29% of employees.
Although AI “teammates” aren’t yet being widely welcomed by their human counterparts, a new study from SHL shows that 38% of entry-level graduates— outperforming senior job levels on AI-work-related competencies—are AI-ready while only 23% of leadership is AI-ready.
Graduates are also outperforming senior talent across critical competencies, including critical thinking in AI contexts (40% high scores vs. 24% of leaders) and championing AI adoption (37% vs. 21%).
Experts are calling on leaders to rethink how they invest in AI by prioritizing entry level talent who are AI-ready. This is another reason for current employees to get onboard and consider AI as their copilot.
Experts insist that real success comes when coworkers learn to treat AI as a collaborator instead of a competitor. Dean Guida, founder of Slingshot and CEO of Infragistics, shares four tips on how you can develop an “AI teammate mentality.”
Employees don’t have to become an AI expert overnight, but gaining hands-on experience now is crucial for career development. Guida says the more you experiment with AI tools—whether drafting documents, organizing information or summarizing research—the faster you can build confidence and understand where AI can actually improve your work.
“Despite what the news says, AI isn’t replacing everyone’s jobs,” Guida asserts. “However, it is reshaping how work gets done. Employees should view AI as a way to improve and enhance their work, rather than something to compete with.”
If you do this, Guida explains that you will have a much easier time integrating it into your workflows. When used thoughtfully, he adds, AI can help you move faster on routine work so you can focus more on strategic thinking, problem-solving and creative tasks where human expertise matters most.
“Many people first turn to AI to speed up routine tasks like summarizing meeting notes, writing emails or double checking work,” Guida points out. “While that’s certainly helpful, it only scratches the surface of what the technology can do.”
He recommends that you explore ways AI can help you with tasks like analyzing information, pulling insights and supporting decision-making. In doing so, he says you can get more value from AI and position yourself as a forward-thinking contributor within your team.
Guida says one of the challenges organizations face right now is that employees often experiment with AI under the radar. “While that experimentation is valuable, keeping it hidden limits how much teams can learn from each other. Instead, being open about how AI is helping you work more efficiently can encourage better collaboration within and across teams.”
That transparency can also help companies better understand how employees are actually using AI, which may lead to more investment in training and clearer guidance around responsible use.
Many of the people I know are afraid of AI. They actually get nervous around it and recoil instead of warming up to it. That fear can keep you stuck and eventually come back to shorten your career. If you’re resisting AI for any reason, it’s essential to shift your mindset if you want to stay on top of your career. Experts predict AI is only going to become more present in your workday.
Employees who treat AI like a junior colleague—one to train, supervise and leverage—will gain a decisive advantage over those who resist it. AI will eliminate repetitive tasks, but it won’t replace humans. AI isn’t your enemy.
If you’re not prepared to meet AI half-way, the risk isn’t AI. The greatest risk is another employee in the wings AI-ready to replace you and hop on board with an “AI teammate mindset.”
