The Future of AI at Work: Resume Now’s AI Trends Report

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Table of contents

1. The year began with anxiety and uncertainty
2. Job seekers learned to use AI to stay competitive
3. Companies tried to catch up with governance
4. AI moved into hiring at scale
5. The applicant experience became more automated and more frustrating
6. Workers met their “robobosses”
7. AI became a daily career companion
8. AI entered pay and performance conversations

In 2025, artificial intelligence moved from buzzword to workplace staple. From hiring and compliance to leadership and pay, AI is reshaping how people find jobs, manage teams, and make career decisions.

The AI Trends for 2026 Report from Resume Now examines eight AI-focused studies conducted across 2025 and highlights what they reveal about where the workplace is heading in 2026.

1. The year began with anxiety and uncertainty

AI Disruption Report: Workers entered the year with fears about AI's impact and a need for greater transparency and training in AI adoption.

9 in 10 workers feared job loss to automation.
43% of workers said they know someone who has lost a job due to AI.
44% expected AI to take over some of their tasks within five years.
54% said their employer is only "somewhat transparent" about AI adoption plans.

2. Job seekers learned to use AI to stay competitive

AI-Powered Job Search Report: AI began to influence how candidates found opportunities, created resumes, and compared roles.

84% said AI makes it easier to find jobs.
80% reported using AI-powered job search platforms.
68% of workers used AI to write resumes.
66% believed AI has significantly intensified job competition.

3. Companies tried to catch up with governance

AI Compliance Report: As AI adoption grew, employees struggled to navigate unclear company policies and called for increased AI training.

57% were concerned about unclear AI policies at work.
57% admitted to using AI in ways that may violate company policies.
43% said they need more training on how to use AI effectively.
58% believed AI policies should be managed by IT, not HR.

4. AI moved into hiring at scale

AI and Hiring Trends 2025: Recruiters and hiring teams turned to AI to streamline hiring and improve the decision-making process. AI recruitment trends led to more AI scrutiny for job seekers.

91% of employers reported using AI to hire.
94% said AI screening tools are effective at identifying top candidates.
73% said time-to-hire has improved since implementing AI tools.
79% believed companies should regulate the use of AI-generated content in job applications.

5. The applicant experience became more automated and more frustrating

AI and the Applicant Report: The use of AI tools among job seekers increased, but the resulting lack of personalization was seen as a red flag by employers.

62% of employers said they reject resumes that lack a personal touch.
78% of hiring managers said they look for personalized details as a sign of genuine interest and fit.
57% had seen a noticeable uptick in AI-assisted submissions over the past year.
90% reported an increase in low-effort or spammy applications.

6. Workers met their "robobosses"

RoboBossing Report: AI-driven management tools entered the workplace. Workers began navigating automated oversight.

66% of workers said AI in leadership would make the workplace more fair and efficient.
73% supported AI having a say in major company decisions like hiring, layoffs, and budgeting.
55% believed AI could make better promotion decisions than humans.
34% said they would prefer to report to an AI manager, but 62% still preferred a human.

7. AI became a daily career companion

AI Boss Effect Report: AI trends moved toward everyday use as workplace AI usage evolved from a management tool to a workplace companion and advisor.

97% of workers had asked ChatGPT for advice instead of their manager.
77% said losing access to ChatGPT would hurt their work.
72% said ChatGPT gives better advice.
49% said ChatGPT has been more emotionally supportive than their manager.

8. AI entered pay and performance conversations

AI in Pay Report: Automation started to influence how compensation and fairness are measured.

63% expected AI's role in compensation to grow significantly in the next five years.
56% said they think AI plays a much larger role in pay decisions than it did three years ago.
68% believed AI's involvement makes pay and bonus decisions more fair.
94% said AI pay algorithms should be reviewed by an independent third party.

AI brought a wave of monumental change to the workplace in 2025, creating large shifts in how we work and raising new questions about trust, value, and how large a role AI should play at work. In the new year, leaders will need to ensure AI has a lasting positive impact, making people, not just processes, more valuable.

Methodology

The findings in this report are based on eight independent surveys conducted by Resume Now throughout 2025. Each survey gathered responses from between 800 and 1,200 U.S. workers and hiring professionals, depending on the topic. Participants represented a diverse mix of industries, company sizes, and career levels. The studies explored attitudes toward artificial intelligence across multiple aspects of work, including job search, hiring, compliance, management, and compensation. Participants responded to a combination of yes/no questions, multiple-choice questions, Likert scale ratings, and open-ended responses. Survey data was collected online using qualified panels managed by Resume Now's research partners. All responses were anonymized and aggregated to identify national trends.

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.

For press inquiries, contact Kathy Gardner at kathy.gardner@bold.com.

Keith is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and trusted media source in the career industry with over a decade of experience helping job seekers stand out.