A new survey from AI resume builder Resume Now® reveals that most U.S. workers believe AI could improve leadership by making the workplace more fair, efficient, and data-driven. According to the RoboBossing Report, based on a survey of over 900 American workers, 66% of workers say AI-led management would enhance fairness and operational efficiency, suggesting that many view AI as a solution to human bias, inconsistency, and subjectivity.

But while support is strong in logic-based areas like performance management, promotions, and budgeting, workers also express clear boundaries. Emotional intelligence, ethical nuance, and interpersonal skills remain areas where human leadership is considered essential.

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Key Findings of RoboBossing report:

  • 66% say AI leadership would make the workplace more fair and efficient
  • 73% support AI having a say in major company decisions like hiring, layoffs, and budgeting
  • 55% believe AI could make better promotion decisions than humans
  • 64% say motivating teams is something only humans can do well
  • 57% say only humans can truly empathize and understand emotions
  • 34% would prefer to report to an AI manager, but 62% still prefer a human
  • 85% say more AI transparency would increase their trust in their employer
  • 39% worry about surveillance or data misuse from AI bosses

Where Workers Trust AI Most: Logic, Fairness, and Efficiency

AI earns high marks for tasks that benefit from objectivity and data consistency:

  • 66% say AI leadership would make the workplace more fair and efficient
  • 73% support AI having a say in major company decisions like hiring, layoffs, and budgeting
  • 55% believe AI could make better promotion decisions than humans
  • 54% trust AI to give unbiased feedback
  • 54% believe AI can set fair performance goals
  • 44% trust AI to manage projects efficiently

What AI Can’t Replace: Emotion, Empathy, and Human Connection

While workers are open to AI managers, many still believe that certain leadership qualities are uniquely human:

  • 64% say motivating teams is something only humans can do well
  • 57% say only humans can truly empathize and understand emotions
  • 53% believe only humans can make tough or morally complex decisions
  • 37% are concerned about AI’s lack of empathy
  • 29% worry AI leadership will make the workplace more impersonal and stressful
  • Only 19% trust AI with resolving team conflicts

These findings highlight a desire for balance; a blend of AI’s precision and human leaders’ emotional intelligence.

The Rise of AI Managers: Comfort with Caveats

Attitudes toward AI as a direct manager reflect cautious optimism:

  • 1 in 3 workers (34%) would rather report to an AI manager than a human manager
  • 62% would still prefer a human manager when given the choice
  • Only 5% expect no real change from AI leadership, indicating most anticipate a noticeable impact
  • 28% say AI might outperform humans in some areas

Workers seem open to AI playing a leadership role, but not replacing human leaders entirely.

Surveillance and Trust: Transparency Is Key

AI monitoring is already commonplace, but worker sentiment depends on its perceived purpose:

  • 94% say their current job involves some form of AI monitoring
  • 69% are fine with it when it supports productivity
  • 85% say more AI transparency would actually increase their trust in their employer
  • 39% worry about surveillance or data misuse

This shows that fairness and transparency, not control, shape how AI oversight is received.

A Smarter, Fairer Future—With Limits

The RoboBossing report data makes one thing clear: AI is gaining ground as a trusted tool in leadership, particularly in roles that benefit from speed, structure, and logic. But when it comes to emotion, ethics, and connection, workers still want humans at the helm.

“Employees aren’t rejecting AI. They are asking for balance,” said Keith Spencer, career expert at Resume Now. “They trust AI to bring efficiency and fairness to the systems side of leadership. But leadership is also about inspiration, listening, and trust. That’s why RoboBossing may work in some areas, but people still want a human leader in the loop.”