The FOBO Hurdle: Fear of Becoming Obsolete in the AI Age

So, everyone's buzzing about AI, but are we having the real conversation? The one about how it’s making our people feel? There's a pit in the stomach for a lot of employees right now. We can give it a fancy name if we want — FOBO, the Fear of Becoming Obsolete — but it boils down to a simple, human question: "Is a robot going to take my job?"

And honestly, it is not a crazy question. A global survey showed almost half of all employees are worried about their job security because of AI. This is not just a tech issue, it’s a people issue, and it's hitting our teams right now, especially considering that in Mexico, 55% of the working population is informal and 99.8% of companies are micro, small and medium enterprises, according to information from government entities.

Automation and AI are transforming the composition of work.

On the factory floor and in our operations, this isn't just a headline, it is a daily reality. Automation is changing work, and the skills we have valued for years are suddenly being re-evaluated. This fear is being fueled by what people see: tasks that were once done by hand are now being automated.

And it’s not just one type of job, either. We’re seeing big shifts in customer service, logistics, and administrative roles. What's really telling is that this anxiety is hitting everyone equally, from the person who just started last week to the 20-year veteran, nobody feels completely safe.

This leads to the real problem: the skills gap. To stay relevant, our people need a new toolbox: some tech skills, but more importantly, human skills like thinking critically and adapting on the fly. We're told we need to retrain half our workforce in the next couple of years, but that is easier said than done, especially for our more experienced workers.

The Parallel Risk: Technostress From Adapting to AI

On top of that, there is the other side of this coin: technostress. That is, the sheer exhaustion of trying to keep up with all these new tools, new systems, new everything. When you're already stressed, the idea of learning AI feels less like an opportunity and more like a threat, we can't just drop new tech on people and expect them to be fine, but it can lead to longer hours, a feeling of being watched, and serious burnout.

What's Our Move? This is HR's Moment.

This is where we, as leaders in HR and operations, have to step up and be the translators, the coaches. As directors, the job is to bridge the gap between the company's push for technology and our team's need for stability.

First, we have to be straight with people. No more corporate jargon or vague promises, instead, we need a clear game plan for how we are going to use AI, and we need to share it. The conversation has to be about how these tools will help our teams get rid of the boring parts of their job so we can focus on what matters, not just about how the company is going to save money. If people trust you, they will listen, if they don't, they will just assume the worst.

Second, we have to give them the tools to fight back. Once you have opened the lines of communication, you have to invest in your people; this means real training, not just a one-off webinar. Help them build that mix of tech and human skills, we need to create a space where it's okay to experiment, to try things with these new tools, and even to mess up, that is how real learning happens. We have to show us a clear path forward for our careers within the company.

Finally, we need to build a workplace that doesn't just survive this change, but gets stronger from it, that means protecting our team from burnout. We need to set clear boundaries on work-life balance, just because the tech is always on doesn't mean our people should be. We have to use AI to actually help our employees, maybe by spotting early signs of burnout or personalizing development, not just to track their every move.

Key Takeaways

At the end of the day, how this AI story plays out is not a foregone conclusion, it is a choice. It is on us — the leaders on the ground — to make sure we are building a future that is not only more efficient but also more human.