Global Concerns Rise Over AI’s Impact on Employment

A recent global survey from Pew Research dives into public perceptions of AI, focusing on its effects on employment, daily life, and income disparity. Conducted between February 8 and May 13, the survey gathered insights from 42,151 individuals across 37 countries, well before the latest dire predictions emerged.

The findings reveal that many view AI as a potential threat to jobs. In 34 out of the 37 countries surveyed, respondents are more inclined to believe that AI will result in job losses over the next two decades rather than create new opportunities. This concern is particularly pronounced in wealthier nations, with 76 percent of participants in both Australia and South Korea, and 71 percent in the US, expressing apprehension. This aligns with warnings from industry leaders about the potential for AI to eliminate a significant number of entry-level white-collar positions.

Overall, many respondents anticipate that AI will exacerbate the divide between the wealthy and the poor, with individuals from affluent, left-leaning countries holding this belief most strongly.

Age also plays a role in shaping opinions. Older individuals tend to express greater concern about AI’s influence on everyday life compared to their younger counterparts. Those aged 18 to 34 often have mixed feelings about AI’s impact on the world they inhabit, and their anxiety is on the rise. In nations such as Sweden, Poland, Japan, Australia, Brazil, and the US, younger demographics have shown a marked increase in concern over the past year regarding AI-related job losses and inequality, paralleling the worries of older generations in places like the US and Sweden.

Despite these concerns, the survey results are not entirely pessimistic. A global median of 41 percent of respondents report feeling both concerned and excited about the increasing role of AI in their lives, while 37 percent primarily express concern and only 13 percent are mainly excited.