Global Survey: Most Expect AI to Eliminate More Jobs Than It Creates

People around the world anticipate artificial intelligence will destroy more jobs than it generates, according to a major international survey conducted earlier this year. In 34 of 37 countries polled by Pew Research Center, respondents believe AI will lead to net job losses over the next two decades.

The findings, first reported by Pew Research Center in September 2026, reveal particularly acute concern in wealthy nations. In Australia, South Korea, and the United States, roughly seven in ten adults or more expect AI to result in job losses. In the U.S., pessimism has intensified—the share holding this view increased 7 percentage points in just two years.

Yet uncertainty remains widespread. In many countries, approximately one-fifth of adults say they're unsure how AI will affect employment. That figure climbs to 40 percent or higher in several middle-income nations, suggesting opinions are still forming in places where AI awareness is lower.

Why it matters

These attitudes will shape political and regulatory responses to AI deployment. When majorities expect technology to eliminate jobs, governments face pressure to restrict AI adoption or mandate worker protections—potentially slowing innovation even as companies race to implement the technology. The disconnect between elite enthusiasm for AI and public skepticism creates a governance challenge that policymakers have yet to resolve.

Young adults grow more skeptical

A striking pattern emerges across age groups. In multiple high-income countries including Canada, France, Singapore, and Sweden, young adults ages 18 to 34 express more concern about AI-driven job loss than people 50 and older. This represents a reversal from historical patterns where younger cohorts typically embrace new technology more readily.

The shift is most dramatic in the United States. Since 2024, the share of Americans under 35 who say they're more concerned than excited about AI jumped from 40 percent to 55 percent. Young Americans now match their older counterparts in expressing primary concern—a notable departure from five years ago when older adults were more worried.

Inequality concerns compound employment fears

Beyond job displacement, respondents expect AI to widen economic gaps. People are more likely to say AI will increase rather than decrease the divide between rich and poor, though substantial shares remain unsure. In South Korea, Australia, the U.S., Greece, and Canada, around 40 percent or more anticipate AI will deepen inequality.

Fewer than one in four people in any surveyed country believe AI will reduce inequality—and in 29 nations, that figure falls into single digits.

Political ideology influences these views. In eight of 28 countries where political orientation was measured, people on the left are more likely than those on the right to expect AI will increase inequality. The gap is largest in the U.S., where liberals are 31 percentage points more likely than conservatives to hold this view.

Mixed emotions predominate

Despite widespread concern, few people express purely negative views. Across the 37 countries, a 41 percent median say they feel equally concerned and excited about AI in daily life, while 37 percent are primarily concerned. Only in Israel do more people report being primarily excited than primarily concerned.

Interestingly, higher AI awareness correlates with more optimistic views in many countries. Germans who have heard a lot about AI, for example, are 15 percentage points less likely to be primarily concerned than those with little AI knowledge.

Concern is rising in several nations. Sweden, Poland, the Netherlands, Hungary, and Australia all saw increases of 4 to 9 percentage points in the share expressing primary concern over the past year.

The survey findings were reported by Pew Research Center based on polling conducted across 37 countries earlier in 2026.