A majority of Americans are worried that artificial intelligence will permanently displace large numbers of human workers as the technology advances, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll that underscores growing unease about the future of work.
The survey found that 62 percent of respondents believe AI will threaten jobs traditionally done by humans and could lead to lasting unemployment across multiple sectors. Only 21 percent said they were not concerned, while the remainder were unsure.
The anxiety cuts across political and demographic lines, though it is strongest among middle-aged and blue-collar Americans, who fear professions in manufacturing, transport, customer service and administrative support could be automated out of existence.
Nearly three-quarters of those without a college degree said they believed AI could make it harder for future generations to find stable employment.
Concerns are also high among younger adults aged 25–40, who say they are already seeing shifts in the job market, particularly in content creation, retail, logistics and finance.
Despite tech companies promoting AI as a tool that boosts productivity and creates new types of work, the poll indicates that Americans remain largely sceptical of assurances that new jobs will offset losses.
Fifty-four percent of respondents support government regulation to slow down AI deployment in the workplace until safeguards for workers can be put in place while 47 percent say companies using AI should be required to publicly disclose which jobs are threatened.
Labour unions echoed the findings, warning that without new policies such as retraining funds, wage protections and job-transition programmes, the economic fallout could widen inequality.
The White House has pledged to address the issue as part of its broader AI strategy, including exploring ways to tie technology investment to job preservation and reskilling.
Tech executives have urged calm, saying workforce disruption will be gradual rather than immediate. Still, the poll underscores a profound shift in public sentiment from curiosity about AI’s capabilities to apprehension about its consequences for human livelihoods.
Written By Ian Maleve
