Globally, More People Expect AI to Cause Job Loss Than Growth, According to Pew Research
People are more likely to believe AI will eliminate jobs than create them over the next 20 years. In fact, respondents in 34 of the 37 countries surveyed are more likely to expect net job losses than net job gains from AI.
(See sources at the end of this post).
Pew surveyed more than 42,000 people across 36 countries, plus separate U.S. surveys. The interviews ran from February to May 2026.
The study examined attitudes toward AI’s impact on jobs, daily life, inequality, and regulation.
The global median of those who believe AI will lead to fewer jobs is 46 percent. Concern is strong in wealthier countries such as Australia, South Korea, and the United States.
In many countries, a significant share of people are uncertain, suggesting that awareness of AI is growing faster than confidence in its long-term impact. Many people believe AI will increase the gap between rich and poor, with intense concern in higher-income countries.
Younger adults (18-34) often show greater concern about AI-related job loss than older adults, a shift from earlier years when older people were more worried.
Public opinion isn’t entirely negative. A global median of 41 percent say they’re equally concerned and excited about AI. Thirty-seven percent say they’re primarily concerned, while 13 percent say they’re primarily excited.
Pew’s 2026 global survey reveals that the public expects AI to be a net reducer of jobs rather than a creator of jobs, particularly in advanced economies.
At the same time, many people see AI as a mixed blessing: beneficial in some areas but accompanied by significant worries about employment and economic inequality.
The most notable takeaway is that public concern about AI’s labor-market impact is outpacing optimism about new job creation, especially among younger adults and in higher-income countries.
Sources
https://lnkd.in/gnTYYeRV
https://lnkd.in/g3smEnMF
https://lnkd.in/gMhw7_tC
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