Generative AI burst onto the scene with enormous promise, hailed as the next wave of innovation poised to transform how associations serve members, engage volunteers, and streamline operations. Association leaders were intrigued by the opportunities AI offered: smarter member services, content generation, automated workflows, and better data insights. But beneath this promise, a subtle yet powerful undercurrent is forming — one that association executives must not ignore: growing anxiety among staff, volunteers, and even members.

Traditional tech adoption usually follows a familiar arc. Early skepticism gives way to tentative use, then growing confidence, and finally widespread adoption. But generative AI introduces a twist. Initially, users may hesitate or fear the unknown. But oddly, once they begin using these tools and experience some success, their anxiety doesn’t disappear. In fact, for many, it intensifies, according to research by i4cp.

This unusual trajectory — a U-shaped anxiety curve — is uniquely tied to generative AI. For association executives, understanding this emotional arc is not just a matter of employee satisfaction. It is critical to member experience, volunteer retention, and the long-term health of your association’s internal culture.

A New Kind of Tech Anxiety

According to a recent Pew Research study, only 23 percent of U.S. adults believe AI will positively shape their job future. A sobering 43 percent think AI will harm them personally. Even among younger generations, whom we often consider tech-native, anxiety is rising. Gen Z workers have a lower adoption rate (63 percent) of generative AI than Millennials (74 percent), signaling deeper concerns beneath the surface.

Why is this happening? Because generative AI doesn’t just change how we work — it challenges the very idea of why we work. In associations, where mission-driven work is often tied to identity and purpose, this challenge and its associated risks cut even deeper. Staff and volunteers aren’t simply worried about keeping up with new tools. They’re asking, “Will this tool eventually replace me?”

The U-Shaped Curve: Familiarity Breeds ... Fear?

Let’s revisit the typical adoption story, but through an association lens. Imagine Allison, your senior manager of member communications. When your association begins integrating generative AI tools to support email campaigns and newsletter writing, Allison is skeptical but curious. After some training and experimentation, she sees real value — she can produce quality drafts faster and has more time for strategy. Her anxiety lessens.

But after several months, she begins to see something else. The tasks she once considered central to her value are now largely handled by AI. She wonders: “If this keeps up, what happens to my role?”

This isn’t an isolated experience. A Boston Consulting Group survey found that nearly half (49 percent) of regular AI users fear their jobs will vanish within a decade. Compare that to just 24 percent among non-users, and the pattern is clear: The more people engage with generative AI, the more real the threat becomes.

For associations, the implications go beyond staff roles. What happens when chapter volunteers begin using AI to automate tasks they once did collaboratively with national? Could this widen alignment gaps between national and components? What happens when members, increasingly exposed to generative AI in their own workplaces, question the relevance of association-generated content or professional standards that lag behind the AI curve?

A Dangerous Misread: Mistaking Comfort for Buy-In

Executives frequently misinterpret early enthusiasm for lasting comfort. You see initial adoption among staff and volunteers, early wins in productivity, and positive feedback in board meetings. It’s easy to assume the transition is complete.

But this can be a critical error.

If we don’t recognize the return of anxiety, we risk alienating the very people we rely on to carry out the mission: our staff and volunteers. In the association world, where lean teams and passionate contributors are the norm, morale is not a luxury — it's a necessity.

Take the example of a membership coordinator who uses AI to streamline new member onboarding. She saves time and creates a consistent experience. But over time, as the system requires less and less of her input, she begins to wonder whether the value she brings is visible or needed. The result? Hidden disengagement. Even if she stays in the role, her motivation and sense of ownership start to fade.

Ongoing Change Management: Not Optional, But Essential

Generative AI isn’t a one-time implementation. It’s a cultural shift. Associations must build continuous change management strategies that evolve alongside the technology and the emotions it stirs.

Here are five essential practices for association executives:

1. Normalize uncertainty: Create regular opportunities for staff and volunteers to voice concerns. Host forums, surveys, or listening sessions that focus on emotional responses, not just technical training.
2. Communicate transparently: Share what you know — and what you don’t. If roles will evolve, say so. If you’re exploring how AI fits into your volunteer strategy, involve volunteers in that exploration.
3. Reinvest in purpose: Remind your teams why your association exists. Reinforce the mission and show how AI helps serve members better, not replace people who do the serving.
4. Update roles, don’t eliminate them: Focus on redefinition, not reduction. Can your content team evolve into curators and strategists? Can your membership staff shift from processors to experience designers?
5. Train for strategy, not just tools: Offer professional development that goes beyond how to use AI and moves into how to think critically about its ethical, strategic, and member-focused implications.

Case Study: Guiding an Association Through the AI Anxiety Curve

In 2024, I consulted with a national education association that was eager to adopt generative AI for content development and member outreach. They had a small but mighty communications team that was enthusiastic about experimentation.

Six months into the rollout, productivity had soared, but HR flagged something alarming: Employee satisfaction scores had dropped. A deeper dive revealed that while team members appreciated the efficiencies, they felt increasingly unsure about their long-term value. One senior writer confided, “I used to feel like the voice of the association. Now I’m just editing what the AI spits out.”

We paused the technology expansion and launched a facilitated dialogue series focused on identity and impact. Together, we redefined staff roles: Content producers became member engagement strategists, leveraging AI to amplify insights rather than using it to merely generate words. Volunteers were brought into brainstorming new ways to use AI to support local chapters, creating a shared sense of purpose.

The result? Not only did anxiety levels drop, but new member satisfaction rose by 17 percent, as staff refocused on high-touch, high-impact experiences while AI handled repetitive tasks.

Turning Anxiety into Engagement

The hidden anxiety curve of generative AI doesn’t have to derail your association’s progress. In fact, if handled with empathy and strategy, it can strengthen your organization.

Staff and volunteers want to belong to something meaningful. If AI is framed as a tool that enhances human contribution — not replaces it — then your people will respond with innovation, not resistance. But this shift doesn’t happen passively. It requires intentional leadership.

The generative AI conversation is no longer optional. Your staff is talking about it. Your volunteers are experimenting with it. Your members are experiencing it in their own workplaces. The question is whether your association will lead the conversation — or fall behind it.

Be the leader who sees beneath the surface. Acknowledge the hidden anxieties. Guide your people through them. Redefine roles and reaffirm purpose. Because the future of your association isn’t just about what AI can do. It’s about what your people will choose to do with it — if you lead them well.