Good grief, how many times have you heard someone say, “Don’t worry, AI can’t replace everything, we’ll still need a human in the system!”?

I never get the sense anyone believes them.

I’ve even heard the AI say it a few times, in a reassuring voice. Meanwhile, there are videos streaming from China showing an army of robots like something out of Star Wars.

Keep calm, don’t panic? Every futuristic sci-fi film has only been predicting a grim end for us all.

It’s no wonder we are at least hesitant.

AI represents a potential shift in something that sits right at the centre of our lives. One of the things that defines us as human, but also something we complain about more than almost anything else: work.

Even though the word “work” sounds like a whole lot of…well, work. It carries a sense of effort, and obligation. Yet, many of us have built a large part of our identity, our routines, and even our sense of worth through our work.

What if AI takes this away?

AI is the Genie

On one hand, this is almost a ‘genie in the bottle’ situation. A savvy AI user can generate videos, website, games, apps and a gamut of other weird and wonderful things they could only observe other creators doing in their own pockets. It’s like having unlimited wishes in the digital world right now.

Others are more cautious, taking a wait-and-see approach, or questioning whether it’s really as capable as people claim. 

And then there are those who are clearly frustrated or even angry at the direction things seem to be heading, particularly when it starts to feel like skills they’ve spent years developing could be reduced or replaced.

Dealing with AI Grief

When people are faced with this kind of change, psychologists sometimes refer to the Kübler-Ross 5 Stages of Grief model. Psychologists either love or hate this model. Love, because it’s so simple and useful. Hate, because it’s really supposed to be used when in mourning. Put it this way, it’s the last model you want to see when they announce that organisational restructure!

But in the case of AI, it does resonate more than we might like to admit. Because even if nothing has fully disappeared yet, there is a growing sense that something is changing in a way that may leave us mourning the past or a future that was never realised.

Denial “AI is just going to come crashing down soon”

Some are in denial. This is where we pretend nothing is happening or, if it is, it’s just a fad. Denial often shows up when AI doesn’t get the result right away and then quickly dismisses it altogether. It’s a way of showing you gave it a (superficial) go and proved you were right all along–AI is going nowhere.

Anger “I refuse to use this.”

Anger is another common response. At its core, anger is a mechanism that helps us push through obstacles. However, it can become unhelpful if it simply resists an inevitable shift.

In the AI context, this might be someone who blocks its use, demeans the output or the person using it.

Bargaining “I’ll just do the high value work of a human. That can’t be replaced”

The bargaining phase is where we try to negotiate a path forward. Rather than rejecting AI outright, we look for ways to contain it or reshape it so that it doesn’t disrupt things too much. 

This might look like someone framing an automation as an extra efficiency or benefit rather than an entire replacement. In many cases, this is a constructive phase, but it can also limit how fully people engage with what’s possible.

Depression “What’s the point, if AI does everything?”

Depression emerges when we begin to process the anticipated loss. With AI, this could be someone realising tasks, activities or even the job itself can be replaced through automation.

People are not just reacting to change, they’re grieving what they used to do. The ‘depression’ or deflation is actually a functional and useful part of change as it forces introspection and growth.

Acceptance “Maybe I need to completely re-imagine what I can do now”

Hence, depression often heralds the more positive stage of change: acceptance. With AI, this allows us to reconceptualise our working lives in new and inventive ways. 

So, what are Opposite going to do about it?

One of the areas we’re particularly interested in right now is the psychology of artificial intelligence like this. That is, how people respond to it, how they adapt to it, how they choose to use it, and what kinds of thinking patterns sit behind that. It’s not just about capability, but also about emotion, perception, and the broader social impact. And, yes, AI can also help us with that too!

As part of that work, we’ve trialling two diagnostic tools:

AI Thinking Styles: How individuals and teams adapt to AI and the precise thinking styles and strategies they can use to improve their performance. 

AI Orchestration: How well individuals have prepared themselves to ‘orchestrate’ AI agents and automation for the future of work.

Together, these tools can help people better understand their own reactions, navigate the changes more effectively, and ultimately move towards a more productive, creative, and engaging way of working with this technology.

Where are you in the five stages? Take our test “The AI Adventure“ and find out!