Most Americans fear AI will replace humans at work, according to new poll

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Most Americans now fear that artificial intelligence could put large swaths of people, perhaps even entire industries, out or work permanently. Those are the findings of a new Reuters/Ipsos poll that concluded Monday.

The six-day poll revealed that 71% of respondents are concerned that AI will put “too many people out of work permanently.” A further 77% of respondents said they were worried that AI could be used to sow political chaos, which Reuters characterized as “a sign of unease over the now-common use of AI technology to create realistic videos of imaginary events.”

Americans are also concerned about military applications for the technology with 48% of those polled saying the government should never use AI to determine the target of a military strike, with just 24% saying that was an allowable use of the technology.

Furthermore, more than half of Americans — 61% of respondents — expressed concern about the amount of electricity needed to power AI technology, which is currently in the midst of a boom.

AI has already had a measurable impact on the jobs market, particularly in California. According to one recent report, more than 10,000 jobs have already been lost to AI this year. Last week, new data from the state indicated that California’s unemployment rate was now the highest in the nation.

The tech-heavy information sector in particular has seen significant job cuts with companies frequently citing scaling up for AI as a factor in the layoffs.