3 in 5 Workers Are Using AI to Hijack Their Coworkers' Jobs to Stay Employed

Most workers don't tell their manager, and the coworker whose tasks are taken over is usually a workplace friend

GUAYNABO, Puerto Rico, May 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- ResumeBuilder.com, the premier resource for professional resume templates and career advice, has published a new survey report on AI job hijacking, the practice of using AI to take over tasks previously done by a coworker. In April 2026, ResumeBuilder.com surveyed 1,000 full-time U.S. workers and found that 60.7% have done it, and the rate rises to 74.3% at companies that have conducted layoffs in the past 12 months.

According to the survey, AI job hijacking is most common among workers 35 to 44, where the rate peaks at 74.7%. By gender, 67.1% of men and 51.8% of women report the behavior. Nearly 1 in 3 AI job hijackers (32.3%) have absorbed four or more of a coworker's responsibilities in the past six months.

Most AI job hijackers are not telling their manager what AI is doing. 62.8% chose not to disclose how much of the work AI was doing. Half (50.1%) instead told their manager they were "taking initiative to grow into the role," 28.2% said they were "just working harder," and 26.5% said they had "learned from my coworker by working alongside them." 61.6% of AI job hijackers say they would be concerned about their own job security if their manager fully understood how much of the work was being done by AI.

The coworker whose tasks are absorbed is most often a workplace friend, and that friend usually gets laid off. 70.8% of AI job hijackers say the coworker was someone they would consider a workplace friend, and among those who took over a friend's tasks, 63% say that friend was later laid off. That works out to 271 workers, or 27.1% of the full survey, who used AI to take over a friend's job and saw that friend let go.

Despite the cost to colleagues, AI job hijackers are receiving meaningful career rewards. 79.6% received at least one form of career reward afterward. 47.9% received a positive performance review, 44.2% were given additional responsibility, 21.7% received a promotion, and 20.4% received a raise.

"When AI first took hold in the workplace, the focus was clear: hire for it, train for it, and use it to boost productivity. What we are seeing now feels less like innovation and more like Survivor. Instead of sharing knowledge and building new skills together, some employees are shifting into self-preservation mode, guarding information, avoiding risk, and at times undermining colleagues to stay off the layoff list," says Chief Career Advisor Stacie Haller. "When fear drives behavior, collaboration erodes, trust weakens, and culture begins to deteriorate, often without leadership recognizing it in real time. Organizations that neglect their culture now may find themselves at a disadvantage later, struggling to attract and retain the talent they need most."

Looking ahead, AI job hijacking is unlikely to slow. 34.6% of AI job hijackers say they would do it again in the same situation, and the behavior is concentrated at exactly the companies that are most likely to conduct further rounds of layoffs.

Methodology

This survey was commissioned by ResumeBuilder.com and conducted online via the polling platform Pollfish in April 2026. It surveyed 1,000 U.S. workers employed full-time who reported being at least "probably concerned" about their company conducting layoffs in the next 12 months. All respondents passed an in-survey attention check. Results are based on self-reported responses. Multi-select responses are reported as a share of qualified respondents. Skip-logic drill-down questions were shown only to the 607 respondents who reported they had "definitely" or "probably" used AI to take on tasks previously done by a coworker.

To view the complete report, please visit: https://www.resumebuilder.com/3-in-5-workers-are-secretly-using-ai-to-take-over-a-coworkers-job-to-save-their-own/

ResumeBuilder.com is a leading career and job-search platform that helps millions of professionals build resumes, cover letters, and prepare for the job market. Through its AI Resume Builder, resume templates, resume examples, and cover letter builder, ResumeBuilder.com helps job seekers create ATS-friendly resumes optimized for today's hiring practices. The site also publishes original survey research on workforce trends, hiring behavior, and the changing nature of work, with findings regularly cited by national media. All career guidance is reviewed by ResumeBuilder.com's career advisory team, led by Chief Career Advisor Stacie Haller.

SOURCE Resume Builder