A sweeping new survey from the Pew Research Center reveals that anxiety about artificial intelligence eliminating jobs now outweighs optimism about new opportunities. Polling more than 50,000 people across 37 countries between February and June 2026, the study shows a clear shift in public sentiment as governments and tech leaders debate how to manage the technology's rapid advance.
Across the countries surveyed, a larger share of respondents said they expect AI to lead to fewer jobs rather than more. However, a significant portion also expressed uncertainty about what the technology will mean for employment, suggesting that many people are still forming their views.
Wealthier nations most worried
The survey found that concerns about AI-driven job losses are particularly pronounced in high-income countries. In Australia, South Korea, and the United States, roughly seven in ten adults or more believe AI will reduce job opportunities over the next two decades. Similar worries are less widespread in middle-income nations, though they are not absent.
Moira Fagan, a senior researcher at Pew and one of the report's authors, linked these patterns to familiarity with the technology. “People in wealthier countries are more likely to say they have heard or read a lot about AI,” she said. “And we also found that people with higher AI awareness are more likely to believe it will lead to job loss.”
The report also highlights a generational divide that cuts across both rich and poorer countries. In nations as varied as Canada, France, Singapore, Sweden, Indonesia, India, and Malaysia, adults aged 18 to 34 are more concerned about AI-related job loss than their older counterparts. This suggests that younger workers, who will bear the long-term consequences of automation, are particularly uneasy about their prospects.
Trust in AI regulation varies widely
The survey also probed public trust in different governments to regulate AI. In several middle-income countries—including Bangladesh, Malaysia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the West Bank and East Jerusalem—respondents expressed more confidence in China than in the United States or the European Union. Across the nine middle-income nations where the question was asked, a median of 43% trusted China, compared with 35% for the US and 34% for the EU.
Fagan attributed this partly to shifting geopolitical perceptions. “Favourable views of China tend to be quite high in middle-income countries – and opinion has risen in many places since last year, likely contributing to some of the high marks we see for trust in China on this particular dimension,” she explained.
In Europe, the findings carry particular weight as the EU moves to assert itself as a global regulator of AI. The bloc's landmark AI Act is already in force, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has recently urged the EU to slow frontier AI development, echoing calls from tech leaders like Sam Altman, Elon Musk, and Dario Amodei for a pause in the most advanced AI research. Von der Leyen also pledged closer safety cooperation with Canada, the UK, and other like-minded partners in her State of the Union address.
The publication of the survey comes at a critical moment, with protesters in San Francisco demanding AI labs pause development over safety fears. While those protests are US-based, the concerns they raise resonate across the Atlantic, where European policymakers are grappling with how to balance innovation and protection.
Beyond job losses, the survey found that wealthier countries are more likely to worry that AI will widen economic inequalities. This aligns with broader anxieties about the technology's uneven benefits, which are already visible in sectors like healthcare, where studies have shown disparities in treatment. For instance, a recent WHO report found that women in Europe's health sector earn 19% less per hour, a gap that AI-driven productivity gains could exacerbate if not addressed.
When asked about AI's overall impact on daily life, the public remains divided. Across all 37 countries, a median of 37% said they are more concerned than excited, while 41% reported feeling equally concerned and excited. This ambivalence suggests that while the technology is already embedded in many aspects of life, its long-term consequences are still deeply uncertain.
For European readers, the survey offers a sobering snapshot of public opinion at a time when the EU is trying to position itself as a leader in ethical AI. The gap between public fear and policy ambition may prove a significant challenge for Brussels as it seeks to build trust in its regulatory approach.
