Feeling like AI is creeping up behind you, ready to nab your job? Don’t panic—just pivot your mindset. In a recent Fast Company article, psychologist and author Josh Davis, PhD, explains that the key to coping with our growing fears about AI is not trying to predict or control the uncertain future, but to take control of what’s right in front of us: how we work with AI today. Davis argues that our worry, anxiety, and fear—what he calls WAF—are signaling that we crave more control over our careers, and focusing that energy on what we can actually influence in the present can reduce stress and even lead us to use AI to our advantage. Instead of spiraling about whether AI will replace you, ask yourself: “What do I want to do with AI now?” That shift can turn doomsday dread into proactive progress.

🔑 Key Points:

• Worry, anxiety, and fear (WAF) around AI are common—and normal. They often stem from uncertainty and a lack of control.
• Trying to control an unpredictable future only fuels chronic anxiety. Instead, focus on what’s controllable in the present.
• Psychology suggests that WAF can be productive when focused on specific, actionable goals.
• The antidote to WAF? Shift your focus to what you want to achieve now with AI.
• As Josh Davis puts it, “Shifting your focus to what you want that is within your control now, as pertains to AI, can help you live well with the uncertainty around how AI will affect your job.”
• Using AI as a tool today—for example, to get expert advice in areas like negotiation or creativity—can help build confidence and reduce tech-related anxiety.
• Davis encourages users to approach AI with curiosity and intention, rather than fear-driven avoidance.
• This mindset not only decreases stress, it helps you build a future-proof skill set through experience and familiarity with AI.

Author Spotlight:

Josh Davis, PhD, is the author of the international bestseller Two Awesome Hours and founder of the Science-Based Leadership Institute. His upcoming book, The Difference That Makes the Difference, will be released in July 2025.

So if you’re worried about AI stealing your job, remember—it’s not about outrunning the bots, it’s about outsmarting your fear.
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