- New research shows the majority of Americans are concerned about AI
- The main fear continues to be job replacement over the next 20 years
- Tech leaders and AI gurus are doing their best to quell the flames of fear
It’s no secret that millions of Americans have their fair share of concerns about AI, especially when it’s escaping testing and wreaking havoc, or being used to produce deepfakes of women and children.
A new poll by Pew Research has found the majority of Americans are now more concerned than excited about AI in daily life, with the youngest adults in America rapidly shifting their opinion over the last five years.
The biggest fear for most people? Job replacement, as despite the best efforts of tech leaders and AI gurus, this remains a significant concern – especially for young people.
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Opinions on AI are rapidly changing, and not for the better
If we go back just a few years to 2024, the percentage of people fearing AI would lead to fewer jobs was 64%. But now that number has jumped up to 71%. This is especially the case in younger demographics, with 63% of those under 30 fearing job replacement in 2024 compared to 73% now.
And where you may expect something of a difference between the youngest and oldest adults in the US, their views are actually fairly aligned. Job replacement is the main concern for a majority of those in the 65+ bracket, although they fear it just slightly less.
The excitement around AI is dipping as well. In 2021, people under 30 had at least some level of optimism about AI. 25% said they were more excited about AI than concerned. That number has now dropped to 11%. Similarly, those under 30 who were more concerned than excited about AI has risen from 31% in 2021, to 55% in 2026.
But tech leaders and AI gurus the world over are doing their best to try and calm the fears of job replacement, although it hasn’t been very effective.
Earlier this year, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman both in the same breath admitted the company was wrong about the social and economic implications of AI, while also downplaying claims of an impending “jobs apocalypse”
Elsewhere, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said that a spate of AI-related layoffs throughout the first half of 2026 was just CEO’s using AI as an easy excuse to get rid of staff.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has completely flipped the script by arguing that “AI is going to create a labor shortage,” and that new jobs will emerge in new areas. Where are these areas, and what industries would they serve? No one knows – but apparently they’re coming.
Even Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has jumped in the hypewagon with a near-incomprehensible tirade on how Meta is the only mega corporation with the power to use AI and ‘superintelligence’ to benefit the good of all mankind (so long as that mankind is American). He also echoed Bezos’ remarks on unknown new industries and jobs, but added that the ways you can use superintelligence “to help achieve your goals is unlimited,” whatever that means.
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benedict.collins@futurenet.com (Benedict Collins)
