AI stress is rising for the IT workers it was meant to help

The same AI tools that make IT teams faster are also making their jobs harder to bear. Call it AI stress: 91% of UK IT and security professionals say AI tools have improved their productivity, yet 64% say AI-powered cyber threats have increased their workplace stress, according to new survey data published October 5, 2026. The findings describe a workforce caught between AI's promise and its price, where the people defending company systems are absorbing the pressure the technology was supposed to relieve.

The numbers come from the second annual Under Pressure survey commissioned by backup storage company Object First, which polled 300 UK-based IT and security professionals. As reported by Business Wire, the UK results sit inside a larger global study of 1,100 professionals across the US, UK and Germany, surveyed by Dynata in July 2026. Taken together, they show that AI stress is not a niche complaint. It is the dominant mood of an entire profession.

Why AI stress keeps climbing for security teams

The core of the paradox is simple: attackers are using the same technology defenders rely on. As AI-powered attacks grow more sophisticated, the expectations on recovery keep rising with them. Globally, the share of IT and security professionals who say they feel uncomfortably stressed at work climbed from 84% in 2025 to more than nine in ten this year, while only 24% believe their organization is well equipped to respond to the rising threat level. In the UK the readiness figure is only slightly better, at 31%.

That gap between threat and readiness is where AI stress lives. Workers told the survey their stress comes from high workloads and understaffed teams (49%), the risk of ransomware or other cyberattacks (47%), gaps in backup and recovery effectiveness (46%), and pressure to keep systems online (45%). Stress is also bleeding into performance: 78% said workplace stress negatively affects how well they do their jobs, and 42% feel pressure from leadership to "fix everything" after a security incident.

There is a counterpoint worth keeping in mind. The tools themselves are not the villain. the vast majority of professionals credit AI with genuine productivity gains, and the survey's authors argue that smarter tooling, not less technology, is the way out. "AI is helping IT professionals work more efficiently, but it is also accelerating the threat landscape," said David Bennett, the company's chief executive, adding that teams are already stretched thin. The problem is not that AI fails at work. It is that the gains arrive alongside new demands nobody staffed up for, and that mismatch is the engine of AI stress across the industry.

The recovery tools meant to help are adding pressure

One of the survey's most telling findings is that the software meant to protect workers is itself a source of AI stress. Nearly three-quarters of UK respondents said their data recovery tools are difficult to use without security expertise. Globally, only 37% said they are confident they could completely recover company data after a ransomware attack. When the safety net feels unreliable, every alert carries more weight.

The human cost shows up in the mental health numbers. Almost one in five professionals said they feel "hopeless and overwhelmed" during and after a security incident. Globally, 59% feel their companies do not consistently prioritize employee wellbeing and mental health. Nearly two in five said they think about quitting, and 60% have considered or are actively looking for new jobs because of work-related stress. That is a striking figure for a field already facing talent shortages. It is also a warning sign that AI stress is spreading faster than the support systems around it, and it should matter to anyone considering an IT or cybersecurity career: the skills are in demand, but the working conditions need fixing first.

What would actually ease the pressure

Workers do have a clear idea of what would help, and it is not another dashboard. According to the global results, 86% said absolutely immutable backup storage would reduce their stress. In the UK, 89% agreed, and more than two in five said the reduction would be substantial. Immutability means backup data cannot be altered or deleted, even by an attacker with admin access, so teams can trust that recovery is possible when an incident hits. The appeal is not a new feature. It is the removal of doubt.

There is also a recognition that technology alone will not fix AI stress. The survey's release was paired with resources from Cybermindz, a nonprofit focused on mental resilience for the IT and cybersecurity community, including a short research-backed daily practice for reducing stress and improving sleep. For young workers, the practical lesson on AI stress is this: when evaluating employers in tech, ask how they protect the people behind the systems, not just the systems themselves. A growing body of research, including recent work on the productivity paradox, shows that tools which promise speed often pile on hidden work. For more on building a healthier relationship with work, browse the productivity beat.