Global Pessimism Over AI and Jobs: 71% of Americans Expect Job Losses, Pew Research Survey Finds

Widespread Global Concern About AI's Impact on Employment

A new Pew Research survey has uncovered significant pessimism over AI across the globe, with people in 34 of 37 countries believing artificial intelligence will lead to fewer jobs due to AI rather than create new employment opportunities over the next 20 years1

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. The Pew Research Center poll, which questioned 42,151 people across 37 countries from February 8th to May 13th, reveals that 46% of respondents predicted job losses, while only 9% anticipated more jobs2

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. This widespread global concern reflects mounting anxiety about AI-driven job displacement and its implications for workers worldwide.

Wealthier Nations Show Highest Fears About Job Displacement

Worries about AI's impact on employment run particularly high in wealthier nations, where white-collar jobs face the greatest threat from automation. In the United States, 71% of respondents predicted fewer jobs, marking an increase from 64% just two years ago2

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. Australia and South Korea both registered 76% of respondents expressing concern about job losses1

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. The Pew Research survey identified a clear trend toward pessimism in countries with higher GDP, potentially reflecting fears about the automation of white-collar work and AI-induced wage collapse. These concerns aren't unfounded—Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has warned that AI could eliminate half of entry-level white-collar jobs1

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Younger Adults Express Growing Anxiety Despite Mixed Feelings

Generational divides have emerged in public opinion about AI and jobs, with younger adults ages 18-34 most likely to have mixed feelings about how AI will shape the world they've inherited1

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. However, their anxiety is growing rapidly. In countries like Sweden, Poland, Japan, Australia, Brazil, and the US, concern among younger demographics has risen sharply over the past year, making them more worried about AI-driven job loss and inequality than older generations in countries like the US and Sweden1

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. The share of adults expressing more concern than excitement increased significantly in several nations: Sweden saw a 9 percentage point jump, Poland 8 points, the Netherlands 7 points, Hungary 6 points, and Australia 4 points2

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AI's Impact on Income Inequality Deepens Economic Concerns

Beyond job displacement, respondents are more likely to say AI will increase the gap between rich and poor, with this belief strongest among people from wealthier countries who lean left on the political spectrum1

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. In the United States, 46% of respondents said AI would worsen income inequality, while just 21% believed it would make little difference and only 5% thought it would make the country more equitable2

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. The Pew Research Center found one of the widest ideological gaps in the US, where liberals were 31% more likely to fear rising inequality than conservatives2

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. High earners and the educated were more likely to predict job losses in middle-income countries, though lower earners and the less formally educated were simply more likely to answer "not sure" rather than expressing optimism2

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Limited Optimism and Uncertain Labor Market Impacts

Despite the economic research showing predominantly negative sentiment, the Pew Research survey captured some nuance in public opinion. A global median of 41% reported feeling equally concerned and excited about AI's growing presence in daily life, compared to 37% who were primarily concerned and just 13% who were primarily excited1

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. Nigeria stood out as the only country where more people thought AI would create jobs than eliminate them, with 27% versus 26%2

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. Meanwhile, AI's actual impact on the labor market impacts remains unclear. Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research experts found the overall consequences for the US labor market had been marginal as of July 2024, though AI may already be contributing to a harsher environment for recent graduates2

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. Silicon Valley firms haven't helped their public image by relentlessly scaremongering as a marketing tactic and promising customers huge savings via mass layoffs, though some CEOs have since changed their tune to insist they're only selling productivity tools2

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