What happens if you can’t do your job without AI?

What happens if you can’t do your job without AI?

By Michael Ashley
Publication Date: 2026-01-09 13:00:00

Adaptability is one of the strongest human qualities. Consider how quickly people accepted ChatGPT. “In February 2023, ChatGPT made headlines for reportedly being the fastest-growing consumer app in history. Within two months, it reached 100 million users, years faster than Instagram and Netflix, making it a clear example of rapid technology adoption,” said Epoch.ai.

This adoption curve has real implications for how work gets done. The EY 2025 Work Reimagined Survey surveyed 15,000 employees in 29 countries. It was found that 88% of workers now use AI in their work. But here’s the worrying part of this report: “37 percent of employees surveyed fear that an over-reliance on AI could undermine their skills and expertise.”

The Cloudflare wake-up call

The dependency these employees worry about was highlighted during a Cloudflare outage last month. The…