Pew Survey Shows 52% of Americans More Worried Than Excited About AI
A recent survey by the Pew Research Center shows that 52% of American adults feel "more worried" than excited about the increasing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into daily life, a significant rise from 37% in 2021.
The survey indicates that, aside from the 52% who are "more worried than excited," 37% say their levels of worry and excitement are about equal, while only 9% express that they are "more excited than worried."
When broken down by age, 55% of the 18 to 29 age group report feeling more worried than excited, a sharp increase from 47% in 2025 and 31% in 2021, bringing this figure in line with the 30 to 64 age group. Among the 30 to 49 age group, 51% are worried, 47% in the 50 to 64 age group, and the highest at 59% in the 65 and older group. Correspondingly, the proportion of those feeling "more excited than worried" across age groups is: 11% for 18 to 29, 12% for 30 to 49, 8% for 50 to 64, and only 4% for those 65 and older.
The survey reveals that 71% of respondents believe AI will lead to job losses in the next 20 years, up from 64% in 2024; this figure reaches 73% among the 18 to 29 age group, higher than 61% in 2024. Only 9% believe AI will create more jobs, while 10% think it will not bring significant changes, with the rest uncertain.
The report notes that the younger demographic is particularly concerned that AI will make interpersonal connections more difficult and limit creative expression; despite most in this group using AI tools like chatbots daily, they tend to believe these tools "harm" rather than "help" their creativity.
This survey was conducted by Pew's American Trends Panel from June 22 to 28, 2026, with 3,488 American adults surveyed, representing the overall views of U.S. adults. The report also contrasts this survey with a previous study by Anthropic, which stated that "AI has not eliminated jobs on a large scale as experts previously predicted," while Chinese laws explicitly prohibit companies from replacing employees with AI.
Source: Public Information
ABAB AI Insight
The shift in public sentiment from "novel excitement" to "dominant worry" regarding emerging technologies is not unique to AI—historically, the early adoption of personal computers, the rise of the internet, and even the mechanization during the industrial revolution have all experienced similar curves of public attitude transitioning from initial curiosity to mid-stage concerns about employment and social structure impacts. The latest Pew data shows that the percentage of Americans worried about AI has risen from 37% in 2021 to 52% this year, reflecting a shift in public sentiment from "technological novelty" to "survival anxiety" since the widespread adoption of generative AI products like ChatGPT at the end of 2022.
While such public sentiment data does not directly dictate capital flows, it can indirectly influence capital deployment through regulation and consumer choice—when 71% of respondents believe AI will lead to job losses, this kind of public pressure has historically accelerated legislative processes for AI regulation in many countries (such as the EU AI Act) and may prompt some companies to invest more in narratives around "AI capability explanations" and "human-machine collaboration" to alleviate user and regulatory concerns. Consequently, capital is more likely to flow towards applications and companies that can demonstrate AI "enhancing rather than replacing" human labor, rather than those that merely emphasize automation efficiency.
This aligns with historical collective anxieties of groups like carriage drivers during the transition to automobiles and manufacturing workers during the rise of automated production lines, but the unique aspect this time is that even the younger demographic, which frequently uses AI chatbots, also expresses concerns about AI harming creativity and social skills. This indicates that the current public attitude towards AI is no longer a simple binary of "users versus bystanders," but rather a complex mindset of "using while worrying." The AI industry is currently in a phase of rapid penetration, but societal trust has not kept pace, creating a structural misalignment.
Essentially, this represents a precursor signal of "regulatory change"—mechanistically, when over 70% of the public expects AI to lead to net job losses, and this expectation is highest among the youngest workforce group, such public opinion is likely to translate into policy issues in future election cycles, pressuring legislative bodies to introduce new regulations in areas such as AI employment protection, unemployment benefits, and vocational retraining. This also means that whether AI companies can proactively address the core anxiety of "Will AI take away jobs?" in product design and public communication will directly determine whether they face a more lenient or stringent regulatory environment in the future.
ABAB News · Cognitive Law
- Penetration outpacing trust, regulation will eventually catch up.
- The younger the group, the earlier the anxiety, and anxiety is more likely to turn into votes.
- Relying on tools while fearing them reflects the most authentic public sentiment during the technology penetration period.