Over half of Americans are concerned about AI in daily life — with tech leaders and AI gurus desperately trying to calm the number one fear

A recent Pew Research poll indicates that over half of Americans are now more concerned than excited about artificial intelligence (AI) in their daily lives, particularly as the technology continues to elude testing and has been utilized to create deepfakes of women and children. The primary fear remains job replacement over the next two decades, with younger generations feeling the impact more acutely.

In 2024, 71% of the population feared AI would lead to fewer jobs, up from 64% just a few years prior. This sentiment is especially strong among those under 30, with 63% fearing job replacement in 2024, compared to 73% now. Interestingly, despite differing age demographics, both groups share the same primary concern - job replacement.

The excitement around AI, once prevalent among younger generations, has also waned. In 2021, 25% of those under 30 expressed excitement about AI, but this has now dropped to 11%. Conversely, the percentage of young people who are more concerned than excited about AI has risen from 31% in 2021 to 55% in 2026.

Tech leaders and AI gurus have attempted to quell these fears, but their efforts have proven largely ineffective. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman acknowledged that the company had underestimated the social and economic implications of AI, while downplaying claims of an impending "jobs apocalypse." Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang suggested that AI-related layoffs were merely a convenient excuse for firing staff.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos claimed AI would create a labor shortage, with new jobs emerging in uncharted territories. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg went further, suggesting that Meta's AI and "superintelligence" could be used to benefit all of humanity, particularly those in the United States. He echoed Bezos' comments on new industries and jobs, emphasizing the potential of superintelligence, but did not provide concrete examples.