Why Many Professionals Underestimate AI's Threat to Their Own Jobs

People often believe AI will reshape entire industries but assume their own positions are safe, a tendency known as invulnerability bias.

When asked about AI's impact, most respondents anticipate industry-wide disruption yet rate their own jobs as comparatively insulated, a pattern researchers label invulnerability bias. Empirical work published in Scientific Reports quantified this effect, finding individuals consistently rate personal exposure lower than that of the broader workforce, with the magnitude differing across professions. The bias is most pronounced among healthcare, legal and public-administration workers, while technology, engineering and architecture professionals exhibit the smallest gap.

Familiarity with AI appears to mitigate the bias, as those who claim higher knowledge are more likely to acknowledge personal risk. Corporate surveys, such as one by Forrester, reveal a similar split: a large majority foresee AI automating tasks in their field, yet only a small fraction believes it will replace their own positions. This disconnect can hinder internal preparation, as leadership may invest in AI initiatives while many employees remain convinced the changes will not affect them directly.