What workers are saying about AI

When it comes to artificial intelligence in the workplace, workers are constantly told different stories about how the technology could reshape the future of work.

AI might lead to a “white-collar bloodbath.” Or it might make human judgement more valuable than ever.

AI might automate grunt work. Or it might turn once-loved jobs into something unrecognizable.

The forecasted possibilities are endless. Thus, it should be no surprise that workers’ views of AI are complicated.

Below are five charts on how workers feel about AI.

1. Broadly, Americans view AI as destructive to jobs. Although job losses attributed to AI represent a small share of the overall U.S. workforce, Americans of all age groups are more likely to view AI as a force that will take away jobs, not create them.

2. Relatively few workers expect to be personally replaced by AI. A clear majority of workers expect AI to impact their work. But just 6% of workers – and just 7% of white-collar workers – currently say they think AI will replace their job.

3. Broadly, many expect AI to make work worse. By roughly a 2-1 margin, workers expect AI to make the worker experience across the U.S. economy worse by eliminating jobs and putting greater pressure on workers, rather than improving it by freeing up time spent on repetitive tasks and assisting with more challenging work.

4. But... Workers are more mixed and much less negative about AI's effect on their own line of work than they are about its effect on the workforce broadly. Those who use AI at work skew even more positive on this question.

5. Who’s going to benefit from AI? While there exists some optimism that workers and business owners can both equally benefit from AI usage at work, it is outweighed by a sense that AI will mostly benefit owners and executives.

There’s no question that workers are anxious about AI.

However…

• While there are fears it will shrink opportunity across the job market broadly, most workers aren't expecting to lose their job to AI.
• While workers expect AI to make the working experience worse overall, many feel it’s having a positive impact on their own field.

But for now, workers don't think they're the ones who stand to gain from AI. Until that changes, expect the pessimism to stick around.