Employees are being evaluated on their AI proficiency, with some companies tying promotions, bonuses, and even job security to how well workers use artificial intelligence. Duncan Trevithick, a 34-year-old marketing professional in Spain, says he is being assessed on his ability to use AI to complete tasks faster, but the rewards do not match the effort. 'I do not receive two days off or a 40% pay rise,' he says, adding that higher output simply becomes the new baseline. 'In the longer term, I have helped prove how much of my job no longer requires me.'

This trend is becoming more common, with firms like Accenture, Disney, Meta, JP Morgan, and KPMG introducing 'AI leaderboards' to track and rank employees' usage of large language models and platforms. Crypto trading platform Coinbase has even fired engineers who did not complete AI training. According to a McKinsey report, 94% of companies have yet to see significant value from AI, yet business leaders are eager to see returns on their investments.

Pamela, a US-based senior executive, says AI proficiency is now more important than experience. 'You've got the same job title, same tenure, but different value based on whether someone treats AI as a threat or a tool,' she says. 'AI fluency beats credentials every day.' She adds that employees who are not visibly using AI face slower promotion timelines and are harder to see on leadership shortlists.

Legal experts say companies must ensure transparency and fairness. Tina Chander, an employment lawyer at Weightmans, confirms that bosses are legally clear but warns that the shift in expectations raises questions about pay and fairness. 'The question then becomes whether the employer increases expectations on the basis that the employee can now produce more work. Is that fair?' she asks. Chander advises businesses to have clear policies, training, and boundaries to avoid disputes over fairness and job security.

HR consultant Tina Rahman says employers are not being transparent enough about why they want AI to be part of people's jobs. 'Because they misunderstand it, this is not being reflected to employees,' she says. A lack of clarity is causing discontent at Pamela's company, where leadership is described as inconsistent and vague. 'Firms want productivity gains without owning the disruption narrative,' she says. 'If something goes wrong, they're going to say,