Third of people think AI would do a better job than their human manager

More than a third of UK employees believe replacing their line manager with an artificial intelligence (AI) system would improve their productivity, although a large majority still want performance feedback delivered by a human manager. Polling commissioned by Careerminds UK found that 36.7 percent of employees thought an AI manager would make them more productive, compared with 25.5 percent who expected their productivity to decline. A further 37.8 percent said it would make no difference.

The findings suggest employees may be more receptive to AI taking on some management functions than replacing the human aspects of the job. When asked who they would prefer to receive performance feedback from, 74.2 percent chose their line manager and just 14.2 percent opted for an AI system. Another 11.7 percent had no preference.

The survey of 600 UK employees in full-time work also found a pronounced divide according to seniority, with enthusiasm for AI management increasing further up the organisational hierarchy. Almost two-thirds of employees at director level or above, 64 percent, said an AI manager would improve their productivity, including 28 percent who anticipated a significant increase. That compared with 42.6 percent of senior employees, 38.5 percent of managers, 27.6 percent of mid-level employees and 26.2 percent of those in entry-level positions. Just over half of entry-level employees said an AI manager would make no difference to their productivity.

Senior employees were also more willing to receive feedback from AI. Some 26 percent of directors and above said they would prefer feedback from an AI system, compared with 8 percent of mid-level workers.

The results come amid growing debate about the impact of generative AI on management structures and the future role of middle managers. Research from the Chartered Management Institute has previously suggested that 82 percent of UK managers receive no formal management or leadership training before taking up their roles. Gartner has also predicted that, through 2026, one in five organisations will use AI to flatten their organisational structures, potentially eliminating more than half of existing middle-management positions.

Amanda Augustine, resident careers expert at Careerminds UK, said the findings should not be interpreted as evidence that employees want managers to be replaced wholesale by technology. “We shouldn’t confuse employees seeing potential productivity gains from AI with wanting technology to replace their managers altogether,” she said. “Middle managers are already feeling the squeeze, caught between growing expectations from senior leaders and the needs of their teams. AI may be able to ease some of that pressure by taking certain tasks off managers’ plates, but the feedback findings make it clear that employees still value human judgement, context and connection.”

Age was another significant dividing line. Half of employees aged between 25 and 34, 50.6 percent, believed an AI manager would increase their productivity, compared with 14.4 percent of those aged between 55 and 64. Younger employees were also more willing to receive performance feedback from AI. Some 18.2 percent of 25- to 34-year-olds preferred the technology, falling to 8.9 percent among employees aged 55 to 64. According to the survey, none of the respondents aged 61 or above chose AI as their preferred source of feedback.

There were smaller differences between men and women. Some 37.3 percent of men and 35.8 percent of women expected productivity to increase under an AI manager. Women were slightly more likely to anticipate a decline, at 28 percent compared with 23.6 percent of men. Men were also more likely to prefer AI-generated feedback, with 16.6 percent choosing an AI system compared with 10.9 percent of women.

Augustine said the differences by seniority may reflect the different ways in which employees experience management. “Senior leaders may be looking at AI through the lens of efficiency and decision-making, while employees earlier in their careers are more likely to think about what they need from a manager day to day, whether that’s guidance, development, reassurance or context,” she said. “Those are areas where the human element still matters.”

The research was based on a survey of 600 UK employees in full-time employment conducted for Careerminds UK.