A/NZ AI Anxiety Remains Despite Broad Recognition Of Value: ManageEngine Study
Nearly two-thirds of respondents believe organisations cannot afford to ignore AI despite 57 per cent expressing some anxiety.
Sydney, AUSTRALIA — 11 June, 2025 — ManageEngine, a division of Zoho Corporation and leading provider of enterprise IT management solutions, today announced results from its study, Navigating AI anxiety: A/NZ organisations in 2025. The study, which consisted of more than 300 IT decision-makers and professionals across Australia and New Zealand (A/NZ), reveals a growing tension between enthusiasm for AI and anxiety over its implementation.
Nearly two-thirds (63 per cent) of respondents believe they can't afford to ignore AI, highlighting the technology's growing influence in shaping business strategy and competitiveness. Yet, more than half (57 per cent) also admit to feeling anxious about integrating AI into their operations, citing a lack of skills, resources, and clarity around its long-term impact.
This study, commissioned by ManageEngine and conducted by Telsyte, gathered insights from 300 ICT professionals and decision-makers across small-to-medium businesses (SMBs) and large enterprises.
AI anxiety hits the workforce
The findings reveal that AI is seen as a critical driver of efficiency (49 per cent), better customer experience (48 per cent), enhanced cybersecurity (44 per cent), and cost reduction (42 per cent). However, this level of adoption is also triggering significant anxiety about job security, the adoption of new technologies, and the challenge of keeping pace with AI advances among employees.
The impact of this transition is becoming increasingly apparent. More than half of the respondents (59 per cent) report frequent stress when it comes to keeping pace with AI advancements, with a similar percentage feeling less secure about their jobs.
Over a third (34 per cent) say this pressure makes them more hesitant to adopt new technologies altogether, despite 76 per cent of respondents acknowledging clear benefits from using AI in the workplace.
Organisations respond, but is it enough?
Seventy percent of respondents believe their organisations have been effective in addressing employee stress. Despite this, nearly half (43 per cent) of respondents say they will need a clearer, more comprehensive plan to manage the impact of AI, and 52 per cent revealed that more training, resources, and communication are essential. Similarly, 51 per cent are calling for stronger ethical guidelines and more human oversight in AI applications.
'The AI adoption is clearly underway across Australia and New Zealand, said Rajesh Ganesan CEO at ManageEngine. While it is encouraging to see organisations already have good adoption of AI, it is both surprising and concerning to see the skill gap being the biggest barrier to fully leveraging AI. Organisations must invest in that area to not only see the RoI but also to ensure it does not open backdoors and additional vectors for attacks. Simply deploying AI is not enough anymore—organisations must consider implementing AI in a manner that supports outcomes that are employee centric.'
Other Key Findings
In terms of AI implementation, enterprises in A/NZ are slightly ahead, with 95 per cent adoption compared to 89 per cent among SMBs.
The majority (97 per cent) of A/NZ respondents say they lack some form of AI skills, highlighting the need for upskilling in integrations, machine learning, and model training.
75 per cent of ICT professionals and leaders surveyed are confident in their organisation's mandates and policies in ensuring the ethical use of AI.
As organisations across A/NZ continue to adapt and evolve, this report highlights the need for an employee-centric AI integration approach.
The full report, Navigating AI anxiety: A/NZ organisations in 202 5, is available for download here.
About ManageEngine
ManageEngine is a division of Zoho Corporation and a leading provider of IT management solutions for organizations across the world. With a powerful, flexible, and AI-powered digital enterprise management platform, we help businesses get their work done from anywhere and everywhere—better, safer, and faster. To learn more, visit www.manageengine.com.
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