I think you're right that it is fear. But it's kind of a self fulfilling fear. Teams are requiring employees to use AI, probably because of this fear. Maybe it isn't directly taking my job, but it is necessary for me to use Ai to keep my job.
You can always hang your shingle and work for clients directly.
I agree that it's self-fulfilling. I just feel that it's being used more as a tool for compliance than for direct productivity.