53% of Americans Fear AI Will Cost Jobs as Firms Cut Staff and Boost Investment

3 articles · Updated · USA TODAY · Jun 10

A Reuters/Ipsos poll of 4,531 U.S. adults found 53% fear AI could cost them or someone in their household a job, with concern broadly consistent across age, gender and education groups.
That anxiety tracks a wave of AI-linked workforce cuts: Intuit said last month it would lay off 17% of its global staff, and a Challenger report said AI was the main reason behind a quarter of 60,620 announced March layoffs.
Corporate warnings have reinforced the concern, with Klarna saying it cut its workforce by 40% and Ford CEO Jim Farley predicting AI will replace half of U.S. white-collar workers.
The backlash is spreading beyond workplaces — from Pope Leo XIV urging political restraint on AI to students booing Eric Schmidt — as entry-level hiring weakens and 42% of recent college graduates are underemployed.

Sources

Left43%

Center29%

Right29%

USA TODAY1d ago

Reuters/Ipsos Poll: 53% of Americans Fear AI Job Displacement

Reuters17h ago

Half of Americans fear AI could put someone in their household out of work, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds | Reuters

Times Now8h ago

One In Two Americans Worry AI Could Replace A Family Member's Job | Times Now

8 Sources

With AI projected to create millions of new jobs, why is the public narrative dominated by fear?

If AI-driven layoffs often fail, why are so many companies still pursuing them?

As AI eliminates entry-level roles, how will the next generation of experts gain experience?

Over 397,000 US Jobs Cut in 2026 as AI Drives Workforce Upheaval: Economic, Political, and Social Impacts

Overview

The rapid integration of artificial intelligence into the workforce is driving significant public anxiety and a wave of corporate layoffs, especially in the technology sector. While AI tools are designed to boost productivity, they also pose a threat to job security, creating a contradiction for career planning. This shift is fundamentally reshaping the employment landscape, compelling individuals to learn how to collaborate with AI. Companies like Intuit are restructuring and reducing their workforce to focus more on AI, highlighting the urgent need for workers to adapt as economic rules and job expectations are quickly changing.

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