More than half of Americans now view AI negatively

A recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center reveals that more than half of American adults now view artificial intelligence (AI) negatively. Concern over potential job losses due to AI is the primary factor influencing this shift in opinion. In the past two years, the percentage of people who think AI will lead to fewer jobs in the United States has risen from 64 percent to 71 percent.

Only a small fraction, 5 percent, believe AI will result in more jobs, while 10 percent think it will have little impact, and a similar number are unsure.

The Pew Research Center has been asking about AI concerns since 2021, and despite initial excitement, the number of those who are more concerned than excited about the technology has now doubled, from 18 percent to 52 percent. This trend is particularly evident among younger generations, with 55 percent of adults aged 18 to 29 expressing concern, up from less than a third in 2021. This concern is now comparable among those in their 30s, 40s, and 65 and older.

The main concern among Americans is the potential loss of jobs due to AI, with 73 percent of adults under 30 believing AI will lead to fewer jobs, up from 61 percent two years ago. The trend shows that most age groups increasingly foresee job losses from AI in business. While younger adults are more likely to think AI will negatively impact society, making it harder to connect with others and stifling creativity, a smaller but significant segment of older adults also share this view.

However, some hope exists. Anthropic, an AI company, suggests that AI is not eliminating as many jobs as experts had predicted. Alternatively, Americans could consider relocating to China, where a recent court ruling has deemed it illegal to replace human workers with AI.