New Resume Now survey finds widespread support for AI in management, with clear limits on emotion, ethics, and privacy
GUAYNABO, Puerto Rico, Aug. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- A new survey from AI resume builder Resume Now® reveals that most U.S. workers believe AI could improve leadership by making the workplace more fair, efficient, and data-driven. According to the RoboBossing Report, based on a survey of over 900 American workers, 66% of workers say AI-led management would enhance fairness and operational efficiency, suggesting that many view AI as a solution to human bias, inconsistency, and subjectivity.
But while support is strong in logic-based areas like performance management, promotions, and budgeting, workers also express clear boundaries. Emotional intelligence, ethical nuance, and interpersonal skills remain areas where human leadership is considered essential.
Key Findings:
- 66% say AI leadership would make the workplace more fair and efficient
- 73% support AI having a say in major company decisions like hiring, layoffs, and budgeting
- 55% believe AI could make better promotion decisions than humans
- 64% say motivating teams is something only humans can do well
- 57% say only humans can truly empathize and understand emotions
- 34% would prefer to report to an AI manager, but 62% still prefer a human
- 85% say more AI transparency would increase their trust in their employer
- 39% worry about surveillance or data misuse from AI bosses
Where Workers Trust AI Most: Logic, Fairness, and Efficiency
AI earns high marks for tasks that benefit from objectivity and data consistency:
- 66% say AI leadership would make the workplace more fair and efficient
- 73% support AI having a say in major company decisions like hiring, layoffs, and budgeting
- 55% believe AI could make better promotion decisions than humans
- 54% trust AI to give unbiased feedback
- 54% believe AI can set fair performance goals
- 44% trust AI to manage projects efficiently
What AI Can't Replace: Emotion, Empathy, and Human Connection
While workers are open to AI managers, many still believe that certain leadership qualities are uniquely human:
- 64% say motivating teams is something only humans can do well
- 57% say only humans can truly empathize and understand emotions
- 53% believe only humans can make tough or morally complex decisions
- 37% are concerned about AI's lack of empathy
- 29% worry AI leadership will make the workplace more impersonal and stressful
- Only 19% trust AI with resolving team conflicts
These findings highlight a desire for balance; a blend of AI's precision and human leaders' emotional intelligence.
The Rise of AI Managers: Comfort with Caveats
Attitudes toward AI as a direct manager reflect cautious optimism:
- 1 in 3 workers (34%) would rather report to an AI manager than a human manager
- 62% would still prefer a human manager when given the choice
- Only 5% expect no real change from AI leadership, indicating most anticipate a noticeable impact
- 28% say AI might outperform humans in some areas
Workers seem open to AI playing a leadership role, but not replacing human leaders entirely.
Surveillance and Trust: Transparency Is Key
AI monitoring is already commonplace, but worker sentiment depends on its perceived purpose:
- 94% say their current job involves some form of AI monitoring
- 69% are fine with it when it supports productivity
- 85% say more AI transparency would actually increase their trust in their employer
- 39% worry about surveillance or data misuse
This shows that fairness and transparency, not control, shape how AI oversight is received.
A Smarter, Fairer Future—With Limits
The data makes one thing clear: AI is gaining ground as a trusted tool in leadership, particularly in roles that benefit from speed, structure, and logic. But when it comes to emotion, ethics, and connection, workers still want humans at the helm.
"Employees aren't rejecting AI. They are asking for balance," said Keith Spencer, career expert at Resume Now. "They trust AI to bring efficiency and fairness to the systems side of leadership. But leadership is also about inspiration, listening, and trust. That's why RoboBossing may work in some areas, but people still want a human leader in the loop."
To view the full report with more information, please visit https://www.resume-now.com/job-resources/careers/robobossing-report or contact Joseph Santaella at [email protected].
Methodology:
The findings provided were gathered through a survey conducted with 968 U.S. workers on June 18, 2025. Participants were asked about their use of ChatGPT and other AI tools for workplace communication, emotional support, and career decision-making. The survey also explored trust in AI versus managers, comfort with AI leadership, and the impact of AI on productivity and workplace dynamics. Participants responded to various question types, including yes/no questions, open-ended responses, scale-based agreement questions, and multiple-selection answer formats.
About Resume Now
Resume Now is a powerful resource dedicated to helping job-seekers achieve their potential. Resume-Now's AI resume builder is a cutting-edge tool that makes creating a resume fast, easy, and painless. Resume Now has been dedicated to serving job seekers since 2005. Alongside its powerful AI resume builder and stylish ready-to-use templates, it also features free advice for job seekers at every career stage, guides for every step of the hiring process, and free resources for writing cover letters. Resume-Now is committed to supporting job seekers and workers alike and has conducted numerous surveys related to the experience, trends, and culture of the workplace. These surveys have been featured in Business Insider, CNBC, Fast Company, Yahoo!, Forbes, and more. Keep up with Resume-Now on LinkedIn, Facebook, X, and Pinterest.
Media Contact
Joseph Santaella, Resume Now, 787-236-9388, [email protected], https://www.resume-now.com/
SOURCE Resume Now
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