Denver trauma counselor Emma Kobil sees AI reshaping work dominating conversations. Clients losing jobs to AI express shock and fear of becoming obsolete, wondering if their skills still matter. A 2025 American Psychological Association survey found 38% of workers fear AI will outdated their duties, heightening workers therapy AI fears.New York therapist Lieberman notes a clear pattern: fear of irrelevance. People doubt their value in an AI-dominated world. Companies like Accenture and Lufthansa blamed AI workforce displacement for 2025 cuts, even as executives gained bonuses.FOBO—fear of becoming obsolete—now haunts workplaces like FOMO once did. San Diego psychotherapist Ben Yalom calls it uniquely shattering: losing purpose to AI feels like cosmic rejection. A MIT study estimates AI exposure in 11% of US jobs, turning worries into reality. As China wins AI race, global pressures mount.
Key Highlights: AI Reshaping Work & Therapist Fears
- AI job anxiety surges in US therapy sessions as workers fear obsolescence amid 2025’s 55,000+ AI-driven layoffs.
- Therapists like Emma Kobil report clients mourning lost purpose: “Am I becoming obsolete?” dominates conversations.
- 38% of workers (APA survey) worry AI will outdated their roles; MIT estimates 11% job exposure.
- FOBO (fear of becoming obsolete) rivals FOMO—identity crises hit coders, support staff, and managers.
- Coping strategies: Acknowledge loss, upskill with AI prompts, separate self from job title.
- 2026 outlook: AI creates meaningful roles for adapters; human empathy remains irreplaceable.
- Actionable steps: Audit skills, learn AI basics, network boldly, normalize therapy for AI workforce displacement.
Therapists AI Patient Concerns on the Rise
Therapists report rising identity crises from AI making jobs obsolete. Career coach Rhiannon Batchelder sees workers proposing their own AI replacements amid layoffs. Columbia’s Diana Ese Anderson explains people handle job shifts but struggle with eroded self-worth.
Safe careers like coding now breed doubt as AI handles routine tasks. Kobil’s clients mourn lost purpose, fearing tech’s pace leaves them behind. Lieberman highlights ambiguity’s pain: unclear AI blame maximizes self-doubt.
Ripple effects hit beyond tech—customer support lost 4,000 roles after AI took 50% of work. 2025 saw 1.2 million total cuts, automation claiming many.
Existential Job Fears AI Demand New Strategies
Therapists push action over fear. Kobil advises acknowledging the loss first, validating feelings of obsolescence. Upskilling via AI prompts for upskilling restores control, says Batchelder.
Anderson urges separating identity from roles: reflect beyond your job title. Yalom reframes: you’re more than employment, like more than your body. Explore AI business tools to adapt to AI automation trends.
Lieberman stresses understanding AI’s limits to regain power. Certificates turn workers therapy AI fears into growth. DeepMind’s Hassabis predicts AI creates meaningful jobs for the prepared.
AI Making Jobs Obsolete? Therapists Say Adapt
AI workforce displacement isn’t total doom. Pew notes FOBO’s rise, but AI boosts human strengths like creativity. 2026 HR trends focus on redesign: humans handle what AI can’t, using AI tools for job automation.
Psychology Today calls AI anxiety distinct—faster than past shifts, it hits self-worth directly. Human therapists outshine AI chatbots in emotional depth.
Coping with Workers Therapy AI Fears
Key steps from therapy sessions:
- Audit AI-proof skills like empathy.
- Learn AI basics via AI education courses 2026.
- Journal: separate self from role.
- Network actively—AI favors connections.
- Normalize AI job anxiety in therapy.
Gallup urges upskilling to end fear of being obsolete. As AI reshaping work continues, adapters thrive. Kobil concludes: change is constant; you’re equipped.
Workers asking “Am I becoming obsolete?” awaken to evolution’s call. With AI prompts, tools, and shifts, resilience wins. Follow AI automation trends on AI Core News.
