The public's fear of AI's impact on jobs and society is widespread, with seven in 10 worried about economic impacts and six in 10 thinking it will eliminate more jobs than it creates. Half of the public would rather avoid AI, and only 24% think it's positive for humanity. Despite this, more say they will use it in the future, with men, university students, and particularly male university students viewing it more positively. The majority of parents of 11-to-29-year-olds have not engaged with their children on AI, though some have discussed career implications and encouraged their children to use AI tools. The study, conducted by King's College London's Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Policy Institute, surveyed four groups: a 2,000 representative sample of the general public, a 1,000 sample of young people aged 16-29, 1,000 university students, and 500 employers. The findings reveal that while fear of AI's impact on jobs and society is widespread, there is less concern about the impact on people's own jobs, and some groups are more excited about the positive impacts, particularly employers, men, and male undergraduate students. The public's negative attitudes towards AI are balanced by their pragmatic acceptance of its use, with more agreeing to use it in the future despite their skepticism. The study highlights the public's real concern about the future impact of AI on jobs and society, with a majority believing AI will eliminate far more jobs than it creates, leading to widespread unemployment. Half of the public say the economic consequences of AI-driven job losses would be worse than a normal recession. The public's expectations of AI's role in the job market darken over time, with more predicting AI will be mainly replacing workers in five years. The study also reveals that people are less worried about AI's impact on their own jobs, with a majority of workers not worried about their own job being replaced by AI. However, university students show anxiety about their futures, with 30% saying they would choose a different undergraduate degree given the growth of AI. The public's sense of recent declines in entry-level job vacancies is reasonably accurate, with nearly half saying the number of advertised vacancies has decreased since 2022. The study concludes that the public's fear of AI's impact on jobs and society is widespread, with a need for clear plans on how to adapt and support people in the transition. The public's instinct is to move more carefully, with the majority favoring regulation and protection of jobs over fast adoption, alongside clear government and employer-backed plans for retraining. The study highlights the need for better preparation of young people for an AI-shaped job market, with only 36% of university students saying they are currently being well prepared.
