AI safety teams rely on red teaming. This is the practice of simulating adversaries to probe models for harmful outputs, yet this crucial work carries a hidden price. Researchers report that red teamers endure severe psychological strain. A 2025 Microsoft study found AI red teamers experience desensitization, burnout and stress on par with content moderators. As one ACM paper notes, the “unmet mental health needs of AI red-teamers” have become “a critical workplace safety concern”. In other words, repeatedly “thinking like a threat” exposes workers to disturbing content and moral dilemmas that can leave lasting scars.
Early signs of distress are common. Red teamers report anxiety, irritability and poor sleep as they test models with gruesome or hateful prompts. Over time, constant stress erodes focus and decision-making. One review found that under sustained pressure, red teamers exhibit “decision fatigue, reduced concentration, and impaired memory,” while also describing symptoms like emotional numbness and cynicism. Experts even warn of moral injury: adopters of a “perverse imagination” who trigger disturbing outputs can feel guilt or a loss of self. In short, studies show red teamers face secondary trauma, re-experiencing stress from content, and burnout levels previously seen in combat and crisis-response roles.
Red team burnout: an operational risk
Neglecting this human cost poses a strategic risk. Unaddressed stress among red teamers undermines organizational performance and resilience. A survey of cybersecurity workers found roughly 30% were frequently stressed by red teaming duties, and one industry study reports 75% of security analysts feel anxiety when testing defenses. When mental health breaks down, turnover spikes and attention falters. In fact, CREST (2020) characterizes red teaming as a “hazardous occupation,” likening its pressure to that of emergency responders and imposing a legal duty on companies to protect their people.
Frontline employees describe how this manifests. As Harvard Business Review observes of content moderators, these workers are essentially “the internet’s frontline workers, facing the worst of human nature one disturbing picture or video at a time”. AI red teamers share this fate: they deliberately sift through the worst-case content (from violent deepfakes to AI-generated abuse) to safeguard users. Without systemic support, they’re pushed beyond their “window of tolerance,” leading to burnout and attrition. In practice, overworked teams make more errors, slower responses and compromise user safety. For modern platforms and AI providers, an embattled red team is a liability, not just ethically but operationally. In fact, studies find that when workers feel heard and valued by their organization, mental health and retention measurably improve. Ignoring this is no longer an option if leaders want robust, reliable AI safety programs.
Systemic, trauma-informed support is essential
The solution lies in embedding wellbeing into the workflow, not bolt-on programs. Organizations must embrace trauma-informed, evidence-based strategies. For example, mandatory breaks and duty rotation to limit continual exposure to toxic content. Structured disconnection (beyond normal breaks), micro-pauses between high-risk tasks, and rotating staff through different duties all help keep stress in check. Leaders should also invest in trauma-aware training and crisis debriefs so team members can recognize and recover from strain early. Automated tools like content blurring or AI-assisted filtering of the worst material can further shield human reviewers from the full brunt of digital harms.
Critically, support must come from the top down. Isolated resilience workshops aren’t enough. Experts stress that psychological safety demands a coordinated, systems-level approach embedded in organizational culture. In practice this means visible leadership commitment, accessible counseling, and peer-support networks every day. Embedding mental health metrics in performance and adjusting workloads based on risk are examples of forward-thinking policies recommended by current research. When content moderation teams added a dedicated wellbeing service, nearly 77% of moderators reported feeling “heard and valued,” with measurable mental health gains. The parallel is clear for AI red teams: systematic, trauma-informed care is not a perk but a necessity. Organizations that proactively implement these measures not only protect their people’s dignity, they strengthen their own defenses.
In short, the evidence is unequivocal: red teaming is vital to AI and platform safety, but it exacts a high human toll. Treating worker wellbeing as secondary undermines every security effort. Decision-makers in AI safety and Trust & Safety must therefore view red team mental health as an operational imperative. By investing in recovery rotations, debrief protocols, and empathetic leadership, organizations can sustain high performance while honoring the humanity of their teams. To explore these insights in depth and get actionable guidance, download our white paper on supporting red teaming professionals.
