Over half of Americans are concerned about AI in daily life with tech
leaders and AI gurus desperately trying to calm the number one fear

Date:
Wed, 19 Aug 2026 15:55:00 +0000

Description:
There's little to reduce Americans' concerns about AI, with many fearing it will replace human jobs over the next 20 years.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter New research shows the majority of Americans are concerned about AI The main fear continues to be job replacement over the next 20 years Tech leaders and AI gurus are doing their best to quell the flames of fear Its no secret that millions of Americans
have their fair share of concerns about AI, especially when it's escaping testing and wreaking havoc, or being used to produce deepfakes of women and children.

A new poll by Pew Research has found the majority of Americans are now more concerned than excited about AI in daily life, with the youngest adults in America rapidly shifting their opinion over the last five years. The biggest fear for most people? Job replacement, as despite the best efforts of tech leaders and AI gurus, this remains a significant concern - especially for young people. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here: Opinions on AI are rapidly changing, and not for the better If we go back just a few
years to 2024, the percentage of people fearing AI would lead to fewer jobs was 64%. But now that number has jumped up to 71%. This is especially the
case in younger demographics, with 63% of those under 30 fearing job replacement in 2024 compared to 73% now. (Image credit: Pew Research Center) And where you may expect something of a difference between the youngest and oldest adults in the US, their views are actually fairly aligned. Job replacement is the main concern for a majority of those in the 65+ bracket, although they fear it just slightly less. You may like Barely any workers think their job is safe as worries about AI refuse to go away Half of workers worry AI will still take their job, as agent usage rises Workers are worried AI will expose they don't know how to do their jobs properly

The excitement around AI is dipping as well. In 2021, people under 30 had at least some level of optimism about AI. 25% said they were more excited about AI than concerned. That number has now dropped to 11%. Similarly, those under 30 who were more concerned than excited about AI has risen from 31% in 2021, to 55% in 2026. (Image credit: Pew Research Center) But tech leaders and AI gurus the world over are doing their best to try and calm the fears of job replacement, although it hasnt been very effective . Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Earlier this year, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman both in the same breath admitted the company was wrong about the social and economic implications of AI, while
also downplaying claims of an impending jobs apocalypse

Elsewhere, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said that a spate of AI-related layoffs throughout the first half of 2026 was just CEOs using AI as an easy excuse to get rid of staff .

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has completely flipped the script by arguing that AI
is going to create a labor shortage, and that new jobs will emerge in new areas. Where are these areas, and what industries would they serve? No one knows - but apparently theyre coming.

Even Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has jumped in the hypewagon with a near-incomprehensible tirade on how Meta is the only mega corporation with
the power to use AI and superintelligence to benefit the good of all mankind (so long as that mankind is American). He also echoed Bezos remarks on
unknown new industries and jobs, but added that the ways you can use superintelligence to help achieve your goals is unlimited, whatever that means. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to
get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/over-half-of-americans-are-concerned-about-ai-in -daily-life-with-tech-leaders-and-ai-gurus-desperately-trying-to-calm-the-numb er-one-fear


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