Hope or Fear of AI? Career Adaptability Drives Reskilling Intentions in Urban Indonesia

AI driven work transformation is accelerating in Indonesia’s large cities, yet a persistent conceptual gap remains in explaining why some employees respond with proactive reskilling while others become inhibited by perceived disruption, even when national AI ambitions and organisational training initiatives are visible. Grounded in career construction theory and an opportunity threat appraisal lens, this study examines how perceived AI opportunity and perceived AI threat shape reskilling intention through career adaptability, and whether organisational learning culture strengthens the translation of adaptability into reskilling intention. Using a time lag two wave online survey of 425 urban employees across major Indonesian cities, the hypothesised model was tested using PLS SEM. The findings indicate that perceived AI opportunity increases reskilling intention both directly and indirectly by strengthening career adaptability, whereas perceived AI threat reduces reskilling intention mainly by weakening career adaptability, confirming adaptability as the core transmission mechanism from AI appraisals to learning oriented action. Organisational learning culture strengthens the adaptability to reskilling relationship, suggesting that supportive learning environments amplify the behavioural expression of individual resources rather than acting as a standalone driver. The study advances the micro foundations of AI workforce readiness and offers actionable guidance for managers to prioritise opportunity focused communication, build adaptability, and remove structural barriers to learning. Limitations include self reported intention measures and an urban sampling frame. Future research should track observed reskilling behaviour longitudinally and test additional boundary conditions such as job redesign and perceived fairness in AI deployment.