AI Job Fears Run Deep Across 13 Countries — and Workers Are Already Seeing the Effects

Pew Research has released a new survey covering 37 countries and 42,151 people, asking one simple question: how scared are you that AI will take your job? The answer, in 34 of those 37 countries, is very.

The survey ran from February 8th through May 13th, well before the recent wave of headlines warning about AI destroying jobs. That timing matters. These numbers capture public worry before the most recent round of warnings, not after.

The Job Loss Numbers

A majority of respondents across the surveyed countries see AI as a threat to human employment. In 34 of the 37 countries, people are more likely to believe AI will lead to job losses over the next 20 years rather than create new ones.

Worries run particularly high in wealthier countries like Australia, South Korea, and the United States. Australia comes in at 76 percent, South Korea at 76 percent, and the US at 71 percent. Those figures reflect a widespread belief that AI will replace human workers faster than it creates new roles.

Not surprisingly, given Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei’s warning that AI could eliminate half of entry-level white-collar jobs. The Pew numbers show the public already shares that fear.

Political Leanings and Income Gaps

People from wealthier countries that lean left on the political spectrum tend to believe AI will increase the gap between rich and poor. This pattern suggests that income inequality is viewed as a distinct risk, separate from job loss.

Age also shapes how people respond. Older people are more likely to be concerned about AI’s impact on daily life than younger people. Younger adults, ages 18–34, are most likely to have mixed feelings about AI and how it will shape the world they’ve inherited.

Younger adults are also growing increasingly anxious. That anxiety has risen in several countries, including Sweden, Poland, Japan, Australia, Brazil, and the United States. Concern among younger demographics has risen sharply over the past year, making them more worried about AI-driven job loss and inequality as older generations in countries like the US and Sweden.

What Young Adults Actually Think

The younger generation is not uniformly terrified. A global median of 41 percent report feeling equally concerned and excited about AI’s growing presence in daily life, compared to 37 percent who are primarily concerned and just 13 percent who are primarily excited.

That mix of concern and excitement cuts against the narrative of a panicked youth. Many young adults see AI as a force that changes their lives in positive ways, even as they worry about the costs.

The survey does not break down each country’s views on the income gap, so the table above shows only what is known. But the pattern holds: younger adults are more anxious overall, and that anxiety has grown in the countries where it has been measured.

The Countries Where Worry Has Risen

Concern among younger demographics has risen sharply over the past year. The survey does not give exact percentage increases for each country, but the trend is clear: younger adults in multiple countries are now more worried about AI-driven job loss and inequality than they were before.

The comparison between older and younger generations is stark. Older adults tend to be more concerned about daily life, while younger adults tend to hold mixed views.

What the Survey Does Not Cover

The survey does not address every possible angle. It does not ask about specific industries or job types. It does not measure how people expect AI to change their personal lives beyond employment. And it does not track how these views have shifted over time beyond the one-year comparison for younger adults.

Those limits matter. The survey captures a snapshot of public opinion, but it does not explain why people feel the way they do. It also does not say whether these views will change as AI becomes more visible in daily life.

The Bottom Line on Public Sentiment

Despite economic fears, public sentiment captured by the Pew survey is not wholly negative. A global median of 41 percent report feeling equally concerned and excited about AI’s growing presence in daily life, compared to 37 percent who are primarily concerned and just 13 percent who are primarily excited.

That balance matters. The survey finds majorities across 34 out of 37 countries fear AI will destroy jobs, with worries highest in wealthy nations like Australia, South Korea, and the US. But the younger generation is not uniformly terrified. Many young adults see AI as a force that changes their lives in positive ways, even as they worry about the costs.

KEY FACTS BOX
– Survey conducted by Pew Research
– 42,151 respondents across 37 countries
– Fieldwork: February 8th to May 13th
– Job loss fear: 34 of 37 countries more likely to believe AI will lead to job losses
– Countries with highest job loss concern: Australia (76%), South Korea (76%), US (71%)
– Global median: 41% equally concerned/excited, 37% primarily concerned, 13% primarily excited

The survey’s findings are consistent with broader trends in public opinion. Worries about AI’s effect on jobs have been rising for years, and the Pew numbers confirm that pattern. The recent wave of apocalyptic warnings has not created fear where none existed before — it has amplified a fear that was already there.

What is new is the generational shift. Younger adults are growing more anxious about AI-driven job loss and inequality, even as they remain excited about the technology’s potential. That tension — excitement and anxiety existing side by side — is the defining feature of how young people think about AI today.

The Pew survey was conducted before the recent apocalyptic warnings. It captures a moment when public opinion was already moving in a particular direction, and it shows that direction clearly. Majorities across 34 out of 37 countries fear AI will destroy jobs, with worries highest in wealthy nations like Australia, South Korea, and the US.

AI · automation · global survey · job loss · Pew Research