77% of companies are pushing AI on workers — employment lawyers say you have almost no right to refuse

Christy Bieber

Sat, July 4, 2026 at 3:30 AM PDT 5 min read

Imagine doing your job for 30 years, only to be told that a machine can do it better. Situations like this are a reality for millions of Americans, as AI has arrived in workplaces, whether employees like it or not.

While around half of all adults (1) report that AI makes them concerned rather than excited, around 77% of companies (2) are already using the technology or exploring it for productivity gains according to National University.

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"Many employers are implementing AI use policies because they've been told they can't stay competitive without it," Nance Schick (3), a New York State employment attorney and global workplace mediator at Third Ear Conflict Resolution, told MoneyWise.

Unfortunately, studies show (4) older workers are adopting AI at far lower rates than younger workers, and older workers in AI-exposed jobs are more likely to find themselves unemployed than in the past — especially in information-economy jobs that were once associated with career longevity.

Some older workers may also choose to retire early, rather than be forced to embrace an unfamiliar technology.

Let's pretend, for example, that Bill has done payroll and accounting for his company for 30 years but is now being told he must use AI to complete his work tasks. He doesn't want to make the change and is considering retiring instead. But is that a good idea?

Bill may have to embrace AI if he wants to stay at his job

Unfortunately, if Bill's employer wants him to start using AI, Bill won't have much choice but to comply.

"Employers generally have the ability to introduce new technologies, including AI, as part of how work gets done," Jared Pope (5), benefits and employment law attorney and CEO of Work Shield (6), told MoneyWise. "There's no law that says an employee is exempt from adapting to new tools simply because they have performed the job the same way for decades."

Christine Hintze (7), an employment attorney at Phillips & Associates, also told MoneyWise that employers can require their workers to learn new technologies, as long as the company doesn't violate any employment laws or contracts that are in place.