---
id: "entity-wharton-gbk"
type: "entity"
source_timestamps: ["§ Competence."]
tags: ["research", "academia"]
related: ["concept-psychological-needs-triad", "question-entry-level-competence"]
entityType: "organization"
canonicalName: "Wharton & GBK Collective"
aliases: ["Wharton", "GBK Collective", "Wharton School"]
sources: ["adoption"]
sourceVaultSlug: "hbr-seg-adoption"
originDay: 9
articleStem: "hbr-sig-52-genai-threatening-to-workers"
sourceUrl: "https://hbr.org/2026/03/why-gen-ai-feels-so-threatening-to-workers"
sourceTitle: "Why Gen AI Feels So Threatening to Workers"
---
# Wharton & GBK Collective

The Wharton School (business school at the University of Pennsylvania) together with **GBK Collective** (a data-driven marketing and consulting firm with academic partners) conduct an annual, large-scale survey of senior decision-makers at large U.S. companies.

**Key finding cited — the competence paradox:** **89% of leaders** believe Gen AI enhances employee skills, yet **71%** simultaneously believe it will lead to skill atrophy and replace employees for some tasks. This tension anchors the **competence** discussion in the [[concept-psychological-needs-triad]] and the open problem in [[question-entry-level-competence]].

Note: co-author [[entity-stefano-puntoni]] is a Wharton professor, linking the article's authorship to this research stream.