The exponential improvement and integration of AI into our personal and professional lives has been almost startling. Like the cell phone, the Internet, and ATM cards, AI is here to stay.

The Wall Street Journal (Bindley & Blunt, 2024) reports that companies now assess AI fluency during hiring, and annual reviews increasingly factor in how well employees use AI to increase productivity and cut costs. Some organizations even award bonuses to those who help others work smarter.

When I recently rescheduled a medical appointment with an AI agent, efficient, courteous, and surprisingly “human,” I wasn’t put off at all. That moment clarified something important: the question is no longer whether AI will change your life. It already has.

1 in 3 workers report anxiety about being replaced by AI

85% of companies factor AI fluency into performance reviews

∞ new roles being created for those who adapt to AI

AI as a Perceived Threat to My Job and Personal Life

Many people understandably perceive AI as a threat to their jobs and way of life. But how a person responds to a perceived threat matters enormously. Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) offers a clear lens: you can react in a healthy, self-enhancing way or an unhealthy, self-defeating one.

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AI is a tool like a scalpel. Either you learn how to use it, or you will get cut by it.

— REBT Perspective

We are not stopping this wave. The goal is to manage your emotional reaction to the profound changes AI will introduce, so you don’t get left behind.

Feeling overwhelmed by rapid change? A therapist trained in cognitive behavioral approaches can help you build the flexibility to adapt. Find a therapist near you.

How to Turn AI Anxiety into Healthy Concern

REBT distinguishes between healthy concern, which motivates us to cope, and unhealthy anxiety, which leads to avoidance and retreat. When the stakes are high, it is easy to slip from concern into anxiety, especially when we hold rigid attitudes toward change.

Two Paths Forward

How you respond to AI’s rise determines your outcome

✗ Unhealthy Anxiety ✗Avoids learning new tools ✗Rigid “this must not happen” thinking ✗Catastrophizes job loss ✗Trades future security for short-term comfort

✓ Healthy Concern ✓Engages and prepares proactively ✓Flexible “I can adapt” mindset ✓Accepts change as inevitable ✓Invests in skills that compound over time

Four Common AI Anxiety Traps and How REBT Reframes Them

Below are four rigid attitudes that fuel AI anxiety, each paired with a healthy, flexible alternative.

1	Job Security

“AI will steal my role at work”

âš  Anxiety-Provoking AI will steal my knowledge and my role. That must not happen.

✓ Healthy Alternative AI will change what employers need, but the only constant is change. By mastering AI as a tool, I can flourish in an AI-driven economy.

2	Obsolescence

“It will be awful if AI makes me obsolete”

âš  Anxiety-Provoking It will be awful when I am made obsolete in the workplace by AI.

✓ Healthy Alternative It would be quite bad, but layoffs have happened before. I will accept reality, study AI, and commit to becoming the go-to person in my organization.

3	Future Fear

“It’s too threatening to think about surviving an AI world”

âš  Anxiety-Provoking It is too threatening to think about how I will survive in an AI-run world.

✓ Healthy Alternative It is uncomfortable, but not unbearable. With psychological flexibility, I can adapt to whatever the future holds.

4	Relationships

“AI companions will make human relationships obsolete”

âš  Anxiety-Provoking AI companions could make human intimate relationships obsolete. This is awful.

✓ Healthy Alternative A tool or service is just that. Proceed with an open mind and healthy skepticism. Perhaps it is not either/or, but both/and.

The inner critic can amplify AI anxiety. Learning to quiet rigid self-talk is a powerful skill. Read: Silencing the Inner Critic: The Power of Self-Compassion

A 3-Step REBT Reset for AI Anxiety

When anxious thoughts about AI arise, use this simple process to shift from rigid fear to flexible action.

1	Notice the Thought Catch the rigid belief: “AI will destroy my career and that must not happen.” You cannot challenge what you cannot see.

2	Dispute the Belief Ask: “Is this thought realistic? Helpful? Is there evidence for it?” Most catastrophic AI fears are exaggerated and unprovable.

3	Replace with a Flexible Belief Adopt a balanced alternative: “Change is difficult, but I have adapted before. I can learn AI tools and protect my value.”

Ways to Use AI Effectively

Below are some of the ever-expanding ways you can put AI to work in your professional and personal life, generated with the assistance of ChatGPT to illustrate the practical range of AI applications (OpenAI, 2023).

Productivity and Knowledge Work

Research Summarize articles, suggest sources, and generate bibliographies in seconds.	Drafting & Editing Draft emails, reports, or essays, then refine for clarity and style.	Learning & Tutoring Explain complex concepts and offer personalized feedback in any subject.
Data Analysis Analyze datasets, identify trends, and visualize information for professional projects.	Time Management Optimize calendars, set reminders, and automate routine tasks.	Emotional Support AI chatbots offer empathetic conversation for those seeking nonjudgmental interaction.

Creative and Visual Work

AI is reshaping creative fields in profound ways. Tools like DALL·E, Midjourney, and Stable Diffusion open new possibilities for anyone willing to engage with them.

Image Generation Create original visuals from text descriptions using DALL·E, Midjourney, or Stable Diffusion.	✨ Style Transfers Apply artistic styles to photos, upscale low-resolution images, or restore old photographs with AI tools.
Design Assistance Generate logos, concept art, and visual mockups that speed up the creative design process significantly.	Creative Brainstorming Artists increasingly use AI as an ideation partner to explore new visual concepts before committing to final work.

A Practical Checklist: Using AI Responsibly

AI Usage Best Practices

Work smarter, stay ethical, and protect yourself in the process.

✓	Be specific with prompts. Detailed instructions yield better, more useful results.
✓	Verify information. Always fact-check AI output, especially for sensitive topics.
✓	Use AI as a tool, not a replacement. It enhances, not replaces, your critical thinking.
✓	Protect your privacy. Avoid sharing sensitive personal data with AI tools.
✓	Stay ethical. Do not use AI to plagiarize, deceive, or create harmful content.
✓	Iterate and refine. Rephrase prompts and ask follow-up questions when results miss the mark.
✓	Understand limitations. AI may make mistakes, misunderstand context, or lack current knowledge.
✓	Stay informed. Keep up with AI developments to use the latest features and best practices.

★ Key Insight

By leveraging AI, adaptive individuals can increase productivity, enhance creativity, improve a wide range of skills, and make more informed decisions.

Adopt flexible, non-extreme attitudes toward the changes AI will bring. Nothing is constant but change.

Looking for support in navigating change? A therapist can help you build the psychological flexibility to adapt and thrive. Learn how to find the right therapist.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about AI anxiety and how to cope with it.

Q: Is it normal to feel anxious about AI?

A: Yes. AI anxiety is a widely reported response to rapid technological change. REBT and other evidence-based approaches can help you shift from rigid, extreme reactions to flexible, adaptive ones.

Q: Will AI really take my job?

A: AI is changing roles across many industries but also creating new ones. People who learn to work with AI are more likely to stay relevant. The biggest risk is avoidance, not AI itself.

Q: What is REBT and how does it help with AI anxiety?

A: REBT helps people identify and challenge rigid beliefs that cause emotional distress. Applied to AI anxiety, it replaces catastrophic thinking with flexible attitudes: “This is challenging, but I can adapt and thrive.”

Q: What are practical first steps to overcome AI anxiety?

A: Start small. Spend 15 minutes a day exploring an AI tool like ChatGPT. Curiosity is the antidote to fear. The more you engage, the less threatening AI becomes.

Q: When should I seek professional support for technology-related anxiety?

A: If anxiety about AI is interfering with your work, relationships, or daily life, speaking with a therapist can help. Find a therapist near you.

Resources

	NIMH: Anxiety Disorders Overview	→
	APA: Anxiety – What You Need to Know	→
	APA: Building Your Resilience	→
	GoodTherapy: Silencing the Inner Critic with Self-Compassion	→
	GoodTherapy: How to Find the Right Therapist	→

About the Author Walter Matweychuk, PhD Licensed Psychologist & REBT Specialist Dr. Walter Matweychuk is a licensed psychologist and one of the foremost practitioners of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) in the United States. He trained directly under Dr. Albert Ellis, the pioneering psychologist who developed REBT, and worked at the Albert Ellis Institute in New York for many years. He teaches graduate psychology courses at New York University and works at the University of Pennsylvania. In his private practice in New York City, Dr. Matweychuk helps individuals and couples overcome anxiety, depression, and relationship challenges using the evidence-based principles of REBT. View Profile >

References:
Bindley, K., & Blunt, K. (2026, Feb. 24). Tech Firms Aren’t Just Encouraging Their Workers to Use AI. They’re Enforcing It. The Wall Street Journal.

In an interview from April 2018, James Comey, former director of the FBI, spoke about the difference between the language he used publicly as the director of the FBI and the way he speaks in his current book. He curses in the book because that’s how he thinks, he said. But when speaking with members of the media, he cleans up his language so it’s more socially acceptable.

Most people follow his form, watching themselves when they think they might be judged harshly for cursing and letting loose when they feel safer and more comfortable. As a therapist, I believe cursing helps connect people who are seeking help or working through issues. I have a bias towards this view, as I was taught by Dr. Albert Ellis, who, in my opinion, was the absolute best cursing therapist in the history of the profession. When I started studying with Al 40 years ago, I found it incredibly refreshing to hear him curse while explaining his theories of what he initially named Rational Emotive Therapy. (It was later renamed Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy).

Cursing as a Tool to Connect

When people stub their toe, they don’t say, “Darn!” They usually swear. Studies have shown people who curse when in physical pain experience a diminished perception of pain. There’s no study I know of that shows this to be also true for emotional pain, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it turns out to be the case. [fat_widget_right]

If we, as therapists, don’t use the language of the inner self, we risk not connecting as well. I firmly believe this. I have learned from my 40 years in practice that there are three things a therapist can do to help people feel safer:

• Model authenticity
• Dress casually (but not sloppily)
• Use real language, not a white-washed version of your speech. That means cursing, or the language people use vocally or internally, depending on the situation and who is within earshot.

Just to be clear, I am not suggesting you curse at a person you are working with. Rather, I am speaking of cursing as a tool that can help forge alliances. Not everybody will appreciate this. Some people do not swear and may be offended. This is why, when I first use a curse word, I ask the person I’m working with if they find it offensive. If they find cursing offensive, I do my best to resist the urge. My goal is to relate to the person in the deepest way humanly possible so they can feel heard, known, and respected.

Another goal I have, which is in keeping with dressing casually, is modeling what it means to be my true self with the people I work with so they can feel comfortable being their true self with me. My true self is someone who curses for emphasis and relief. I also think it’s my right as a woman to be able to swear, since men have had the freedom to curse from time immemorial.

When people feel comfortable using language they would use with a close friend or family member, they may then feel encouraged enough to let other boundaries loosen up a bit. These boundaries may have kept them from disclosing something they felt was embarrassing or shameful, for example.

Another goal I have, which is in keeping with dressing casually, is modeling what it means to be my true self with the people I work with so they can feel comfortable being their true self with me.

Cursing is simply a way I show my allegiance with the person I’m working with. I am not a dispassionate, uninvolved therapist. I really care about the people I work with. When they have a problem, I passionately want to help them. Cursing helps me convey that intention. By cursing I also give them a cosmic permission slip to feel more passionate about their own life.

In addition, I show it’s safe and okay to feel angry sometimes. It’s even fine to express this anger. In my experience, cursing does not lead to violence. It may even prevent it, as unleashing an epithet may help release some emotional heat before it builds into a violent conflagration.

Many people, especially women, think they shouldn’t show or feel anger. When I model outrage at something and the world keeps spinning on its axis, they realize they can express the same outrage. Cursing is a way people can express a negative or heartfelt emotion without any major negative repercussions.

Part of therapy is helping people feel safe being who they are. All of us have rage. Some is conscious, some unconscious, but we all have it to differing degrees. Feeling our feelings, including anger, is acknowledged as one of the most important steps in accepting and working through those difficult emotions. You can’t heal what you don’t feel.

Cursing is just another way to connect with your feelings. It’s not the only way. But some people find it allows them freedom to express how deeply they feel about something. Once we access and own the depth of our emotion, we can then work more wisely with it.

References:

1. Gross, T. (Host). (2018, April 17). James Comey to ‘Fresh Air’: The FBI isn’t ‘on anybody’s side.’ [Radio broadcast episode]. NPR. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/2018/04/17/602849276/james-comey-to-fresh-air-the-fbi-isnt-on-anybodys-side
2. Stephens, R., Atkins, J., & Kingston, A. (2009, August 5). Swearing as a response to pain. Neuroreport, 20(12), 1056-1060.
3. Stephens, R., & Clatworthy, A. (2006). Does swearing have an analgesic effect? Poster presentation at the British Psychological Society Psychobiology Section Annual Conference, 18–20 September 2006, Windermere.
4. Stephens, R., & Umland, C. (2011). Swearing as a response to pain–Effect of daily swearing frequency. Journal of Pain, 12(12), 1274–1281.
5. Stephens, R. (2013). Swearing-The language of life and death. The Psychologist, 26(9). Retrieved from https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/volume-26/edition-9/swearing-language-life-and-death