Americans Fear AI Will Slash Job Opportunities as Trust Plummets Despite Rising Adoption

15% of Americans say they'd be willing to work for an AI boss | TechCrunch

Would you trade your manager for a chatbot? A growing number of Americans are saying yes. According to a Quinnipiac University poll published Monday, 15% of Americans say they'd be willing to have a job where their direct supervisor was an AI program that assigned tasks and set schedules. Quinnipiac surveyed 1,397 adults in the United States and conducted the poll -- which included questions about AI adoption, trust, and job fears -- between March 19 and 23, 2026. Of course, the majority of respondents said they wouldn't be willing to swap their human boss for an AI people manager. But the use of AI as a supervisor is gaining in popularity, even if one isn't directly in charge of steering entire teams of people. Companies like Workday have launched AI agents that can file and approve expense reports on employees' behalf. Amazon has deployed new AI workflows to replace some of the responsibilities of middle management, laying off thousands of managers in the process. Engineers at Uber even built an AI model of CEO Dara Khosrowshahi to field pitches before meetings with their actual boss. Across organizations, AI is being used to replace layers of management in what some are calling "The Great Flattening." Soon, we may start to see entire billion-dollar companies of one, with fully automated employees and executives. Americans are wary about what that means for their job prospects. The majority of respondents in Quinnipiac's survey -- 70% -- said they believe advances in AI will lead to a decrease in the number of job opportunities for people. Among employed Americans, 30% were either very concerned or somewhat concerned that AI would make their job specifically obsolete.

As more Americans adopt AI tools, fewer say they can trust the results | TechCrunch

Americans are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence to help with things like research, writing, school or work projects, and analyzing data -- but they're not exactly happy about it. Even as AI use and adoption rises, Americans continue to lack trust in the new tool, according to a Quinnipiac University poll published Monday. Of the nearly 1,400 Americans surveyed, more than three-quarters said they don't trust AI -- 76% say they trust it rarely or only sometimes, compared to just 21% who trust it most or almost all of the time. That comes even as an increasing number of Americans adopt AI in their daily lives; only 27% said they've never used AI tools, down from 33% in April 2025. "The contradiction between use and trust of AI is striking," said Chetan Jaiswal, a computer science professor at Quinnipiac. "Fifty-one percent say they use AI for research, and many also use it for writing, work, and data analysis. But only 21 percent trust AI-generated information most or almost all of the time. Americans are clearly adopting AI, but they are doing so with deep hesitation, not deep trust." Part of that lack of trust might come from a feeling of dread about the future AI will bring. The poll found only a paltry 6% were "very excited" about AI while 62% were either not so excited or not at all excited. Those numbers are basically flipped when we talk about concern: 80% are either very concerned or somewhat concerned about AI, with Millennials and Baby Boomers taking the mantle of most worried, and Gen Z following not far behind. A solid half (55%) say AI will do more harm than good in their day-to-day lives, while only a third say AI will do more good than harm, according to the poll. More people have negative views about AI compared to last year's survey, according to the researchers -- which may not be surprising after a year of Big Tech layoffs, life-ending AI psychosis cases, and energy-grid-straining data centers. Americans across the board oppose building AI data centers in their communities, with 65% saying they wouldn't want one built, primarily citing high electricity costs and water use. A majority (70%) think AI advancements will cut the number of job opportunities, whereas only 7% think AI will lead to more job opportunities. That's a shift from the 56% of Americans who last year thought advancements in AI would lead to a decrease in jobs and the 13% who thought AI would increase job opportunities. Members of Gen Z, born between 1997 and 2008, are the most pessimistic, with 81% foreseeing a decrease in jobs. They're not exactly imagining it, either. Entry-level job postings in the U.S. have sunk 35% since 2023, and AI leaders like Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei have warned that the tech will wipe out jobs. "Younger Americans report the highest familiarity with AI tools, but they are also the least optimistic about the labor market," Tamilla Triantoro, a professor of business analytics and information systems at Quinnipiac, said in a statement. "AI fluency and optimism here are moving in opposite directions." Interestingly, even though most Americans are worried about AI's effect on the labor market as a whole, most don't think it's coming for their jobs specifically. Among employed Americans, 30% are concerned AI will make their jobs obsolete. Still, that's up from 21% last year. "Americans are more worried about what AI may do to the labor market than about what it may do to their own jobs," Triantoro said. "People seem more willing to predict a tougher market than to picture themselves on the losing end of that disruption -- a pattern worth watching as the technology moves deeper into the workplace," Perhaps a big reason Americans have trust issues with AI is because they don't believe the companies behind the technology are telling the truth. Two-thirds of respondents said businesses aren't doing enough to be transparent about their AI use. That same percentage also says the government isn't doing enough to regulate AI. The sentiment comes as states push to maintain their authority over AI rules, even as federal officials -- including under Trump's latest, largely light-touch AI framework -- and industry leaders advocate for limiting state-level regulation. "Americans are not rejecting AI outright, but they are sending a warning," Triantoro said. "Too much uncertainty, too little trust, too little regulation, and too much fear about jobs."

Americans Are Worried About AI Job Loss, But 15% Would Work for an AI Boss

Silicon Valley might be all-in on AI, but American workers have a more nuanced relationship with the technology. In a new Quinnipiac University survey of just under 1,400 US adults, 30% worry that their jobs will become obsolete due to AI, and 70% are concerned about reduced job opportunities in the future. A small, but significant number, however, say they'd be willing to work for an AI boss, as TechSpot reports. It would certainly be refreshing to hear about CEOs being replaced by AI, rather than blaming mass layoffs on AI efficiency gains. Of those surveyed, 27% said they've never used AI, down from 33% a year ago. Half have used it for research, while 28% have asked AI to write something. Around a quarter have used it for school or work projects, as well as analyzing data and creating images. About 5% have used it for companionship. However, 76% of those questioned said that you either could "hardly ever" trust AI, or could only trust it some of the time. Only 3% said that you could trust it all of the time. Regarding societal impact, over half of participants said AI would do more harm than good in their day-to-day lives, with only 34% believing the opposite. A significant portion of that concern stems from how AI will affect the workplace, with younger people particularly affected. Of those quizzed, 81% of Gen Z thought their job opportunities would be negatively impacted by AI; 71% of millennials said the same. Interestingly, though, the floor is very high: 57% of Silent Generation respondents believe AI would be a net negative for job prospects. Around 15% of those quizzed said they would be fine swapping their managers for an AI tool that handed out assignments; 80% said they wouldn't want that, though. One of the largest group consensus came from the 74% who said the government was not doing enough to regulate AI, up from 69% the year before. They particularly want this to target AI use in political ads, with 36% saying it should be banned entirely and another 45% saying it should at least be disclosed. That extended to military use, too, with only 53% of Baby Boomers supporting it (the largest cohort within all age ranges), while just 36% of Gen Z support it.

More Than Half of US Says AI Likely to Harm Them, Poll Finds

Americans are increasingly turning against artificial intelligence, with growing majorities saying they fear the fast-moving technology will take away their jobs and hurt education, according to a new Quinnipiac poll. Fifty-five percent of Americans say AI will do more harm than good in their day-to-day lives, an 11% increase since last April, according to poll results released Monday. Americans' worries are worsening as companies channel huge sums into deploying the technology, which has become an engine for US economic growth. Together, Amazon.com Inc., Meta Platforms Inc., Google and Microsoft Corp. plan to spend a combined $650 billion this year on AI infrastructure. AI billionaires such as venture capitalist Marc Andreessen and OpenAI President Greg Brockman have poured tens of millions of dollars into the upcoming US midterm elections to elect AI-friendly candidates and lobby for light-touch regulation. Data center construction has emerged as one of the most potent AI-related battles in the upcoming midterm elections, following outcries in communities across the country. Sixty-five percent of Americans oppose the building of any AI data centers in their community. The impact on electricity costs, water use and noise were the main reasons cited by poll respondents. The Quinnipiac poll tracks with other surveys that show Americans are increasingly concerned about AI-related job loss and misinformation. One poll from NBC News showed voters like AI even less than Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Public fears mirror warnings sounded by some prominent figures within the AI industry. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei earlier this year cautioned that AI will trigger an "unusually painful" disruption in the job market. Seventy percent of Americans think advancements in AI are likely to reduce job opportunities, 14% more than said so last year. Only 7% said they think advancements in AI are likely to increase job opportunities. A slight majority of Americans said they oppose the military using AI to select military targets, while 36% support it. The polling was conducted after reports revealed the Pentagon used Anthropic PBC's AI technology to conduct military operations in Venezuela and Iran. Nearly two-thirds of Americans said they think AI will worsen education in the country while only 27% said they thought the technology will improve schools. Quinnipiac surveyed 1,397 US adults by phone in mid-March. The margin of error is 3.3%.

Americans are using AI more, but fear of job losses is growing

Serving tech enthusiasts for over 25 years. TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust. A hot potato: A new survey to discover Americans' views on AI has found that 30% of participants fear their jobs may become obsolete as a result of the technology, while 70% believe it will lead to a decrease in the number of job opportunities for people. Interestingly, it was also discovered that 15% of Americans would be willing to work for an AI boss. Quinnipiac University's survey, which questioned 1,397 adults, found that while Americans are increasing their use of AI, their views on artificial intelligence are becoming more negative. Just 27% of participants said they never used AI tools, down from 33% in April 2025. The largest use case increase was for researching topics people are curious about, which jumped 37% compared to a year ago. Despite more people using AI, three-quarters of Americans (76%) admit they hardly ever or only sometimes trust it - around the same figure as last year. The biggest issue with AI has always been how it will affect jobs. While 70% of people are worried about the impact on job opportunities, the demographic most concerned is Gen Z (born 1997 to 2008), of which 81% share this concern. The least worried group, perhaps unsurprisingly, is the Silent Generation - those born between 1928 and 1945. An increasing number of Americans are concerned about AI making their jobs obsolete. It's a fear shared by 30% of employed people, up from 21% a year ago. "Americans are more worried about what AI may do to the labor market than about what it may do to their own jobs. People seem more willing to predict a tougher market than to picture themselves on the losing end of that disruption - a pattern worth watching as the technology moves deeper into the workplace," said Tamilla Triantoro, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Business Analytics and Information Systems, Quinnipiac University School of Business. A job where the direct supervisor is an AI program is something 80% of Americans would not be willing to do, but 15% of people said they would be willing - perhaps assuming it's better than no job at all. AI being used in the military is another hot-button topic. A slight majority of Americans (51%) oppose the military using AI to select military targets, while 36% support it. Again, opinions vary in this area based on age groups, with almost 70% of Gen Z opposing military use of AI and 47% of the Silent Generation supporting it. One area that had a lot of support was AI transparency and regulation. 75% of Americans think that businesses are not doing enough to be transparent about their use of AI, and 74% think the government is not doing enough to regulate its use. "Americans are not rejecting AI outright, but they are sending a warning. Too much uncertainty, too little trust, too little regulation, and too much fear about jobs," said Chetan Jaiswal, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Computer Science and Associate Chair, Department of Computing, Quinnipiac University School of Computing and Engineering.

More and more workers say they'd be happy with an AI boss -- but don't expect it to give them a raise any time soon

* As many as 15% of American workers would accept an AI boss * Most are still worried about job losses, especially the younger generations * Americans are calling for greater regulation and transparency to protect workers New data from Quinnipiac University has claimed that while four in five still prefer a human leader, as many as 15% of Americans would accept an AI boss instead. The news comes as more and more companies are thinning out their workforces, removing middle management layers in a broader push for operational efficiency. However, eagerness is still being met with reluctance as workers continue to fear widespread job losses - more than two in three (70%) worry AI will reduce job opportunities overall, with only 7% expecting increased jobs. What is AI's role in the labor market? Per the latest data, 30% of workers worry their own job will become obsolete as a result of artificial intelligence, up from 21% last year. However, adoption is still high, with half (51%) using it for research and many in education (27%) also using it. Sentiments also vary by generation, with Gen Z and Millennials more likely to think AI will decrease job opportunities compared with Gen X and Baby Boomers. The opposite is true, with younger workers less likely to predict an increase in jobs. "Younger Americans report the highest familiarity with AI tools, but they are also the least optimistic about the labor market," Associate Professor of Business Analytics and Information Systems Tamilla Triantoro wrote. As for the general perception, it's a mixed bag - 55% think AI will do more harm than good, but that leaves nearly half still feeling optimistic about the technology. Looking ahead, it's clear that workers not only want those who are responsible to think more deeply about AI's impacts, but they also want to be included in communications. Around three in four want the government to regulate more (74%) and want more transparency from their company (76%). Associate Professor of Computer Science and Associate Chair for the Department of Computing, Chetan Jaiswal, noted that while Americans aren't rejecting AI outright, they're sending a warning. "Too much uncertainty, too little trust, too little regulation, and too much fear about jobs." Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button! And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too.

80 percent in new survey concerned about AI

Eight in 10 Americans are concerned about artificial intelligence (AI), according to a new poll. In the Quinnipiac poll released Monday, 80 percent of respondents said they are "very concerned" or "somewhat concerned" when it comes to AI. Eighteen percent are "not so concerned" or "not concerned at all" about the technology and 2 percent were unsure about their concern for the technology or gave no response. As AI's prominence in Americans' lives has increased, so have concerns about the technology's impacts on privacy, the environment, mental health and job security. Last week, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) announced the Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act. The progressives' legislation has a goal of stopping construction of AI infrastructure until lawmakers put in place measures mandating government reviews of AI products, restricting mass job displacement and curbing increases in consumer electricity prices. "A moratorium will give us time -- time to understand the risks, time to protect working families, time to defend our democracy and time to ensure that this technology works for all of us, not just the few," Sanders said during a press conference. Fifty-one percent in the Quinnipiac poll said "the pace of AI development" is progressing "faster" than they thought it would, while 38 percent said AI's development is going "about as fast" as they had predicted. Eight percent said the technology's development is "not" moving "as fast" as they thought it would. A recent NBC News poll found 46 percent of respondents saying they had a "somewhat negative" or "very negative" view of AI. The Quinnipiac poll took place from March 19 to 23, featuring 1,397 people and a margin of sampling error of 3.3 percentage points.

As Research Reports on AI Abound, Here's One that Says Americans Do Not Trust AI

The problem with these research reports often relate to a small sample size and the possibility of a homogenized group where the study is conducted. But then, it is what it is! Sir Humphrey Appleby of 'Yes Minister' fame once found an instant solution for his subordinate's concern about a public survey. Bernard Wooley seeks his help over a survey that had 70% public support but the bureaucracy did not support. Without batting an eyelid, he says: "Well that's easy. Commission another survey that suggests 75% people are against it." Of course, Wooley is stumped that people can be for and against the same scheme. To which Sir Humphrey suggests that the secret lies in getting the right sequence of questions so that it elicits the responses the surveyor wants. In recent times a slew of such surveys and reports have appeared around the efficacy of AI and its future impact on society. In recent times, we have seen several market reports about heavy AI use leading to cognitive problems, how talking to strangers is better than machines, why the gap between jobs and employment is growing in Indiaand how asking chatbots for personal advice isn't kosher. And how bot traffic may boot out humans from the internet. No, we aren't questioning the veracities of these surveys and hundreds more like them. The only question that pops us after reading these articles that we ourselves write is this -- Do the research teams and academic institutions take time off to conduct surveys that could run contrary to what they had done in the past and reported as their findings? Over the past twelve months we saw research suggesting that Americans were keep to accept AI as a way of life and adapt accordingly. Now a survey by Quinnipiac University will have us believe that folks in the US may be turning to AI for help with stuff like research, writing, school or work projects, but they aren't exactly enjoying doing so. And, if that's not enough, these folks are facing a severe trust deficit with AI tools, even while they adopt them in increasing instances. Of the 1,400 people surveyed, over three-fourths said they do not trust AI. In fact, 76% trust AI rarely or only sometimes, while just about 21% find AI trustworthy at most times or almost all the time. The Age Of Artificial Intelligence: Americans' AI Use Increases While Views On It Sour, says the headline of the research report that the University has published on its website. "As artificial intelligence continues to leap from concept to reality in just about everything we do, an increasing number of Americans see more harm than good when it comes to AI's impact on their daily lives and education and they are divided about its impact on health care," says the report which also notes that trust in AI continues to remain low. Amid this general perception, the fact also remains that only 27% of those surveyed admitted to having never used AI tools, which is down from 33% that the study reported last April. The authors of the study noted that the contradiction between use and trust of AI remained striking, even three years after AI, in its present form, appeared. "Fifty-one percent say they use AI for research, and many also use it for writing, work, and data analysis. But only 21 percent trust AI-generated information most or almost all of the time. Americans are clearly adopting AI, but they are doing so with deep hesitation, not deep trust," says Chetan Jaiswal, computer science professor at Quinnipiac University. In part, the lack of trust could be coming from a feeling of dread about the future that current AI trends may bring about. Only about 6% of those surveyed expressed excitement about AI while a whopping 62% said they weren't overly excited or not excited at all. And when the discussion focussed on concern, the numbers flipped. As for the general lack of trust, the researchers believe one of the issues could be that people do not believe the companies behind the technology were actually truthful. While 80% expressed grave concern or felt somewhat concerned about AI, it was the millennials and the baby boomers who took on the extremely worried mantle followed by Gen Z that followed close behind. About 55% felt AI would do more harm than good in their daily lives while about 34% said it would bring about good tidings with 11% having no clear view on the topic. When it came to using AI for better medical diagnostics, the results were on point. An overwhelming majority of 81% felt that they would rely on a combination of AI and human intelligence while ascertaining medical records. However, 14% felt they would let go of AI and trust on humans while 3% said they'd be happy to go with automated information response. "It's telling that most people would still want a human involved in reading medical scans even if it were proven that the AI tool was more accurate. This desire for a 'second opinion' from a human being, even if proven they aren't as accurate as AI, reflects the lack of trust in AI that we see throughout the poll," says Brian O'Neill, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Computer Science and Associate Dean, Quinnipiac University School of Computing and Engineering. However, when it comes to military use, the opinion is less divided. About 51% of those surveyed opposed military use of AI for target selection while 36% supported it. In this number, a larger chunk of Gen Z opposes the move compared to the Silent Generation who supports it. However, when it comes to using AI for surveillance, 45% support the move while 44% oppose it. However, most Americans oppose building AI datacentres in their communities with 65% stating that they wouldn't allow one to be built due to the resultant high electricity and water costs. About 70% think that AI advancements would cut job opportunities while only 7% are convinced that it could actually lead to better job opportunities. Younger Americans report the highest familiarity with AI tools, but they are also the least optimistic about the labour market. Tamilla Triantoro, professor of business analytics and information systems at Quinnipiac, said in a statement, that, "AI fluency and optimism here are moving in opposite directions." Two-thirds of respondents said businesses aren't transparent enough about their AI use, while a similar number also felt the government isn't doing enough to regulate AI. "Americans are not rejecting AI outright, but they are sending a warning," Triantoro said adding that Too much uncertainty, too little trust, too little regulation, and too much fear about jobs.