Young adults in the US are increasingly wary of AI, concerned it will take jobs
52% of U.S. adults are now more concerned than excited about AI in daily life, up from 37% in 2021, according to a June 2026 Pew Research Center survey For the first time, a majority (55%) of adults under 30 express more concern than excitement about AI, matching the sentiment of older age groups 71% of Americans believe AI will lead to fewer jobs over the next 20 years, rising from 64% in 2024, with 73% of young adults holding this view Excitement about AI has declined across all age groups sin
Analysis
TL;DR
- 52% of U.S. adults are now more concerned than excited about AI in daily life, up from 37% in 2021, according to a June 2026 Pew Research Center survey
- For the first time, a majority (55%) of adults under 30 express more concern than excitement about AI, matching the sentiment of older age groups
- 71% of Americans believe AI will lead to fewer jobs over the next 20 years, rising from 64% in 2024, with 73% of young adults holding this view
- Excitement about AI has declined across all age groups since 2021, while concern has risen uniformly, signaling a broad cultural shift in public sentiment
- Young adults uniquely perceive AI as harmful to society, creativity, and personal connection, despite high chatbot usage rates
Why It Matters
This survey reveals a significant and accelerating shift in public attitude toward AI, with young adults—typically early adopters—now leading the concern rather than the excitement. For AI practitioners and companies, this signals growing reputational risk and potential regulatory headwinds as workforce anxiety intensifies. Understanding these sentiment trends is critical for responsible product positioning, communication strategies, and policy engagement.
Technical Details
- Data source: Pew Research Center survey of 3,488 U.S. adults conducted June 22–28, 2026, via the American Trends Panel
- Core metric tracked since 2021: the ratio of Americans who feel "more concerned than excited" vs. "more excited than concerned" about AI's increased use in daily life
- Age-stratified analysis shows adults 18–29 at 55% concerned (2026), up from 29% in 2022, while those 65+ remain consistently higher at 59%
- Job loss projection: 71% expect fewer jobs from AI over 20 years (2026), 5% expect more jobs, 10% expect no difference; among 18–29 year olds, 73% expect job loss, up from 61% in 2024
- Supplementary findings indicate young adults are most likely to view AI as bad for society and believe it hinders creativity and human connection, despite being active chatbot users
Industry Insight
- AI companies and developers should prioritize transparent communication about job impact and human-AI collaboration to address growing public anxiety, particularly among younger demographics who are both heavy users and deep skeptics
- The convergence of concern across all age groups suggests AI's societal narrative is shifting from techno-optimism to caution, which may accelerate regulatory scrutiny and influence hiring, product design, and corporate messaging strategies
- The paradox of high chatbot adoption among young adults who simultaneously feel AI harms their creativity presents a critical product and UX challenge—developers must demonstrate tangible value-add rather than replacement to rebuild trust
Disclaimer: The above content is generated by AI and is for reference only.