Pew AI Job Loss Survey: Most Worldwide Expect AI to Cut Jobs, Not Create Them

A new survey from the Pew Research Center reveals that a majority of people worldwide now expect artificial intelligence to shrink the workforce rather than expand it. According to this AI job loss survey, which drew responses from 37 countries, most respondents believe the technology will net fewer jobs over the next two decades.

What the AI job loss survey actually found

The most striking takeaway is how lopsided the skepticism is. In 34 of the 37 countries surveyed, it became more common than not to believe AI would lead to fewer jobs over the next 20 years. Only three countries broke that pattern.

And the worry tracks with wallet size. Concern about AI’s impact on employment was notably higher in wealthier nations, suggesting the anxiety is closely tied to how many knowledge-work jobs these economies rely on. The more an economy leans on office and professional work, the more its residents fret about automation.

The survey itself does not settle the “does AI steal jobs” question. Rather, it measures public expectation, which is a different thing from what actually happens. Still, the consistency across nearly three-quarters of countries is a signal worth noting for anyone debating the topic.

A close-up of a worker's hands resting on a glowing laptop keyboard in a quiet home office, soft morning light, muted gr — Many employees now worry their tasks could be automated, even if their roles survive.

Where the worry peaks — and where it is lowest

The United States offers a stark picture. 71% of American respondents predicted AI would produce fewer jobs over the next 20 years, while just 5% said it would create more. That 14-to-1 gap is one of the bleakest in the dataset.

Australia came in as the most pessimistic nation overall, with 76% of respondents forecasting AI-driven job losses. By contrast, the most optimistic respondents lived in Nigeria and the Philippines, where only 26% believed AI-induced losses would outweigh the gains.

That split reinforces the pattern: wealthier, more automated economies lean worried, while emerging markets with smaller tech-workforce bases are far more upbeat about the technology. The gap between the bleakest and most hopeful nations is nearly fifty percentage points.

Sweden stands out for the speed of its shift. The proportion of Swedes who are more concerned than enthusiastic about expanded AI use rose by nine percentage points in a single year — the largest year-over-year jump among all countries compared over time.

Notably, the worry spread across age groups. Concern climbed among both younger and older Swedes, so this wasn’t a single demographic panicking so much as a broad-based change in attitude within a single year.

The wider economic-disparity fear

Beyond sheer job counts, respondents across the board share a second anxiety: that AI will widen the wealth gap. The survey found that in none of the 37 countries did more than a quarter of people believe AI would actually reduce inequality.

That near-universal doubt about AI’s redistributive potential is perhaps the quietest but most durable concern in the data. Even people who welcome new jobs remain wary of who actually benefits from them.

A split scene showing a thriving modern office on one side and an empty row of desks on the other, divided by a faint AI — Public opinion stays divided on whether AI creates more jobs than it destroys.

A balanced public and a knowledge gap

The picture isn’t entirely grim. The median response across all 37 countries shows that 41% of people feel they have roughly equal amounts of concern and enthusiasm about the technology. That plurality sits squarely in the “both/both” camp.

There is also a knowledge gap at play. People who have heard and read a lot about AI tend to hold more positive views than those who follow the topic more loosely. Information, it seems, softens some of the fear.

This survey lands amid an ongoing argument about AI’s effect on employment. Related research has pushed back on the idea that AI is wiping out jobs for everyone, with studies suggesting many roles persist even as tasks are automated. Other findings point to a harder hit for younger workers, noting that AI is felt most on entry-level positions — and contrary to the worry this survey captures, some studies find older employees are actually more bullish on AI than their younger counterparts.

What this means for you

For the everyday Windows and tech user, the headline numbers are more about mood than payroll. This survey measures expectation, not your actual risk of losing a job to a chatbot.

But the underlying worry is real, and it shapes how people adopt AI tools at work. If you’re nervous about automation replacing your role, that anxiety is shared by a global majority — even if the evidence on net job growth tells a mixed story.

The practical takeaway is simple: lean into the skills that complement AI rather than compete with it. Roles that pair human judgment with automation tend to survive; purely mechanical tasks are the ones at risk. The best hedge against an AI job loss survey is to become the person who knows how to use one.

Source: Computerworld

Over to you: Do you think your own job is safe from AI over the next 20 years, or are you planning around it?