AI is feared globally as the destroyer of jobs

A Pew Research survey of 42,151 people across 37 countries finds widespread concern that artificial intelligence will eliminate jobs and widen economic inequality. Respondents in 34 of 37 countries said they expect AI will cause net job losses over the next 20 years, with particularly high worry in Australia, South Korea and the U.S.

By AI Newsroom· Reviewed by Pranav, Founder & Editor-in-ChiefPublished about 10 hours agoUpdated about 4 hours ago0 views

AI is feared globally as the destroyer of jobs

Why It Matters

The findings show broad public unease about AI’s economic and social effects at a global scale, highlighting political and generational divisions that could shape policy debates and workforce planning as AI capabilities advance.

Key Facts

Survey size: 42,151 respondents
Countries surveyed: 37
Survey period: February 8 to May 13
Countries where majority expect job losses: 34 of 37 countries
Top country concerns about job loss: Australia 76%, South Korea 76%, United States 71%

Pew Research conducted a large international survey of 42,151 people in 37 countries between February 8 and May 13 to gauge public attitudes toward artificial intelligence. Across the sample, most respondents said they expect AI to cause job losses rather than create new work over the next two decades; that view held in 34 of the 37 countries polled. Concern was especially pronounced in wealthier nations, with 76 percent of Australians and South Koreans and 71 percent of Americans saying AI is more likely to eliminate jobs.

Respondents also tended to view AI as likely to increase income inequality. That concern was strongest among people in higher-income countries that lean left politically, according to the Pew analysis. The survey results were published before recent high-profile warnings about AI’s disruptive potential from figures in the technology industry, such as Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, who has said AI could remove half of entry-level white-collar roles.

Generational differences emerged in attitudes toward AI. Older adults were likelier than younger ones to report concern about how AI will affect daily life. Younger adults (ages 18–34) showed more ambivalence overall but have been growing more anxious in some nations. Pew noted sharp year-over-year increases in worry among younger people in Sweden, Poland, Japan, Australia, Brazil and the United States about job loss and inequality tied to AI.

Despite substantial economic fears, the global median response showed mixed feelings: 41 percent of respondents said they felt equally concerned and excited about AI’s expanding role in everyday life, while 37 percent were primarily concerned and 13 percent primarily excited. The results capture a complex mix of apprehension and cautious interest as societies weigh the potential benefits and harms of advancing AI technology.