Deagreez/iStock/Getty Images Plus via Getty Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET's key takeaways AI's fast nature and the need to upskill are overwhelming workers. Learning about AI feels like a second job to workers. Forty-one percent say AI's pace impacts their well-being. Staying up with AI's changing landscape is getting workers down. Forty-one percent of professionals report AI's current pace is impacting their well-being, and more than half of professionals say learning about AI feels like another job in and of itself, according to the latest research by LinkedIn. LinkedIn monitored conversations on the platform that included the words "overwhelm" or "overwhelmed," "burn out," and "navigating change" from July 2024 through June 2025, while also keeping an eye on AI topics and keywords around that same time. Also: Jobs for young developers are dwindling, thanks to AI The research found that AI is driving pressure among workers to upskill, despite how little they know about the technology -- and it's "fueling insecurity among professionals at work," the study said. Thirty-three percent of professionals admitted they felt embarrassed about how little they understand AI, and 35% of professionals said they feel nervous about bringing it up at work because of their lack of knowledge. Studies show that people with AI experience, or, as one Oxford Economics study called it, "AI capital," boost professionals' job prospects. University graduates with AI capital received more invitations for job interviews than those without it, the Oxford study found. Additionally, graduates with AI capital were offered higher wages than those without it. Also: These jobs face the highest risk of AI takeover, according to Microsoft The LinkedIn research illustrates the AI learning gap professionals are facing in an ever-changing AI landscape. It also shows that AI isn't saving people time yet -- quite the contrary, it's making professionals more anxious on the job. So much so that younger professionals are twice as likely to lie about their AI skills at work as their older colleagues. All AI hope isn't lost, however. Several brands offer free AI upskilling courses. Some of the biggest AI brands, including Google, Microsoft, IBM, and AWS offer affordable (and sometimes, free) training courses on the technology. These courses teach IT skills, prompt engineering for AI models, and provide introductions to coding sites like GitHub. Want to follow my work? Add ZDNET as a trusted source on Google.