As artificial intelligence (AI) grows stronger and smarter, it’s becoming harder for individuals to detect phishing scams. A recent report from Saigiss found that employees are clicking links and replying to messages from fraudulent sources.

The report’s findings suggest phishing risk is about more than awareness alone. Even when employees know they should slow down and verify unusual requests, many operate in environments defined by urgency, multitasking and after-hours responsiveness. As suspicious messages become more polished and harder to distinguish from routine work communication, employers may need to complement training with changes that reduce rushed decision-making in daily workflows.

The report found that 72% say phishing attempts are more convincing than a year ago because of AI-written language. In addition, 64% say an AI-generated message could likely impersonate someone they work with, and 57% say AI makes phishing harder to spot because it feels more professional.

According to the report, 63% clicked a work-related link in the past year and later felt they should have double-checked it first. In addition, 57% have verified a message’s request only after taking action first.

Forty-five percent replied to a work message and later questioned whether it was legitimate. The report found that 68% check work email or chat outside normal business hours at least sometimes, and 56% feel pressure to respond after hours at least sometimes.

Read the report.