AI Anxiety, Career Uncertainty, and the Nervous System
Recently I came across some new research articles about A.I. which caught my attention this weekend and I wanted to circle back to share a hot take. The information put language to something many people have been talking about for the past few years and certainly in recent months: the emotional impact of artificial intelligence on work and professional identity none the less how we all may feel about it (AKA, the A.I. “take-over”).
Researchers recently proposed a concept called Artificial Intelligence Replacement Dysfunction (AIRD) to describe distress that can arise when people fear their jobs, skills, or professional roles may become less valuable due to advances in AI and automation. While AIRD is not a formal mental health diagnosis, the proposal highlights an experience that many people are becoming increasingly familiar with: uncertainty about the future.
Questions like:
Will my profession still exist in the next 7 years?
Will my skills remain relevant?
How do I keep up with constant technological change?
What happens if the career I've built begins to shift or worse, I’m laid off?
These concerns often extend beyond finances or employment and continue to hit closer to home in ways we may also not be talking about. For many people, work is tied to identity, purpose, competence, contribution, and community. When the future of a profession feels uncertain, it can create an understandable amount of anxiety, self-doubt, grief, frustration, or a sense of being untethered.
From a nervous system perspective, this makes total sense.
We all generally do well when there is enough predictability to plan, adapt, and move forward in our day to day none the less weeks/months/years ahead. We can better invest in our sense of hope, optimisim, and sense of security. Ongoing uncertainty can keep the body in a state of vigilance, where the mind continually scans for threats, worst-case scenarios, or signs that something important is about to change- no wonder burn out is continuing to increase..
This may show up as:
Difficulty sleeping
Increased anxiety about the future
Trouble concentrating
Feeling stuck or overwhelmed when making career decisions
Constantly researching or monitoring industry changes
A sense of pressure to always be learning, adapting, or proving one's value
Feeling burnt out , distracted, foggy, or checked out
While no one can predict exactly how technology will reshape the workforce, we can learn how to work with the emotional and physiological impact of uncertainty.
At Hidden Trails Therapy, I approach these concerns through an integrative and nervous-system-informed lens. Depending on a person's goals and experiences: using somatic therapies such as (audio) Safe and Sound Protocol, Rest and Restore Protocol, Ketamine Assisted EMDR Therapy, Traditional EMDR therapy including EMDR Intensive, mindfulness practices, Internal Family Systems (parts work), or other integrative approaches (nutritional, sleep, routines etc) that support regulation and resilience.
Rather than trying to eliminate uncertainty, our holistic approach to therapy can help people build a greater capacity to stay grounded while navigating change. It can also create space to explore questions of identity, purpose, values, and meaning when old assumptions about work or success no longer fit.
Technology will continue to evolve. The challenge for many of us is learning how to remain connected to ourselves while the world around us changes. We are resilient, and community as well as support can make such a meaningful difference.
If AI-related stress, career uncertainty, burnout, or anxiety have been weighing on you, know that these concerns are increasingly part of the broader mental health conversation and I’m here to note that support is available and be an important part of the conversations I hope that continue to surface.
This article is intended for educational purposes and is not a substitute for mental health treatment. AIRD is a proposed research concept and is not currently a formal mental health diagnosis.
Resources/References:
References & Further Reading
McNamara, S. N., et al. (2025). Artificial Intelligence Replacement Dysfunction (AIRD): A Call to Action for Mental Health Professionals in an Era of Workforce Displacement. Cureus. Available through PubMed Central.
University of Florida News. (2026). UF researchers identify mental health effects of AI-driven job insecurity. Discusses the proposed AIRD framework, symptoms, screening considerations, and treatment approaches.
American Psychological Association. (2025). Work in America Survey. The APA reported that approximately 38% of workers expressed concern that AI may make some or all of their job duties obsolete in the future.
Pew Research Center. (2025). U.S. Workers Are More Worried Than Hopeful About Future AI Use in the Workplace. Survey findings indicated that roughly half of workers reported concerns about AI's future impact on work.
Reuters/Ipsos Poll. (2026). Half of Americans fear AI could put someone in their household out of work. Survey findings highlighted growing concern about AI-related job displacement across demographic groups.
Note: AIRD is a proposed clinical framework and is not currently recognized as a formal diagnosis within the DSM-5.
