Pew: in 34 of the 37 countries, AI seen as job destroyer

The Pew Research survey, fielded from February 8th to May 13th, captured global opinion before several recent high-profile warnings about AI's impact. Its most striking finding — that in 34 of 37 countries people expect AI to destroy more jobs than it creates over the next 20 years — underscores how broadly that fear has spread. People in wealthier countries, including Australia, South Korea, and the US, are especially likely to hold this view, and the survey suggests older people are more concerned about AI's impact on daily life than younger people.

The responses also show a link between AI anxiety and views on inequality: respondents overall are more likely to say AI will widen the rich-poor gap, with the politically left-leaning in wealthier countries most inclined to agree. Younger adults are the most conflicted group, reporting both excitement and concern, but their worry has risen sharply in several countries over the past year.

What happens next may hinge on whether those fears are borne out in actual labor markets. The survey's finding that AI job-loss fears dominate in most countries could pressure employers and policymakers to address workforce transitions more directly. But the fact that a global median of 41 percent still feel equally concerned and excited suggests the public mood is not uniformly negative, and could shift if AI's benefits become more visible.