Workers are leveraging artificial intelligence to seek out development opportunities within their existing roles and at other organizations. According to a white paper released Friday by the University of Phoenix, this trend has created “a new form of workforce misalignment.” The report suggests that while employees may remain in their current positions for stability, AI is actively encouraging them to prepare for career mobility.
This shift makes employee engagement “increasingly conditional rather than committed,” the study states. Companies that invest in employee experiences might find their efforts ineffective if they overlook how much worker abilities and expectations are changing. “Employees want opportunities to grow, and AI may be accelerating their capabilities and expectations more quickly than workplace systems can adapt,” the report notes.
The Shift in Worker Autonomy
Jeffery Rhymes, a research fellow and doctoral faculty member at the university who wrote the paper, explained the evolution of the technology. AI has moved beyond being a simple productivity device. It now serves as a tool to help employees “increase autonomy and” manage career decisions more independently. As a result, the skills of the workforce are evolving faster than the support systems companies have established.
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“Organizations can design thoughtful programs, policies and employee experiences, but their impact ultimately depends on how employees interpret them,” Rhymes said in a statement. He emphasized that leaders need to determine if organizational intent, employee perception, and workforce capability are moving in the same direction. If they are not, the investments made by the company may not yield the intended loyalty.
This dynamic fundamentally changes the leverage employers hold during recruitment and retention. When staff members utilize external AI tools to upskill without company sanction or support, the internal learning and development function loses some of its relevance. The employer becomes less of a gatekeeper for advancement and more of a stepping stone, a shift that requires a complete rethink of how value is exchanged between a business and its people.
Risks of Misalignment
The report highlights that workforce outcomes result from both the intentional experiences companies cultivate and the way workers interpret those experiences. When these factors align, the result is often career optimism. Conversely, a gap between the two can indicate serious problems.
Specific signs of trouble include disengagement, cultural friction, reduced trust, and an increased intent to leave. “Treating that alignment as a leading indicator can help organizations identify risks to trust, wellness, belonging and engagement before they become more difficult to address,” Rhymes said. The white paper incorporated research from two University of Phoenix Career Optimism Index studies to illustrate these points.
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One study conducted in 2025 found that 51% of employees reported feeling burned out. The data revealed a stark gap in resources: while 86% of workers were looking for growth opportunities, 43% said they lacked access to developmental opportunities. This discrepancy suggests that despite wanting to grow, many feel trapped by their current environments.
A study from the following year added that AI contributed “a new dimension to this gap.” Three-quarters of employees in that later study said AI adoption had increased their confidence, and 66% said the technology gave them more control over their careers. This sense of control appears to be empowering workers to look elsewhere should internal options be insufficient.
Rhymes suggests that organizations can address these gaps by encouraging psychological safety. It is also vital to ensure that talent acquisition, talent management, and talent development systems are aligned with the new reality of an AI-empowered workforce.
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