Here’s some research that confirms what you already know: Pew Research Center reports that 52% of U.S. adults now say the increased use of AI in daily life makes them more concerned than excited, which is up from 37% in 2021. Only 9% are more excited than concerned, and 37% feel both equally. The survey ran from June 22-28, 2026, with 3,488 U.S. adults on Pew’s American Trends Panel.
The topline has been flat since 2023 (52%, 51%, 50%, 52%). Underneath it, the age groups traded places. In 2021, adults under 30 had the lowest concern (31%) and the highest excitement (25%) of any age group. Today, 55% of them are more concerned than excited, the first majority Pew has recorded for that group, and their excitement has fallen to 11%. Adults 50 to 64 went the other way; their concern peaked at 59% in 2023 and has eased to 47%.
Job loss has been a top reason for this concern since 2021, and the expectation is growing. 71% of U.S. adults now think AI will lead to fewer jobs in the United States over the next 20 years, up from 64% in 2024. Just 5% expect more jobs. Among adults under 30, 73% expect fewer jobs, up from 61% two years ago, now even with adults 30 to 64.
Pew’s earlier work this year adds context: adults under 30 are the age group most likely to say AI will be bad for society and bad for them personally. The labor data so far measures a different harm than the one they fear. Apollo Global Management’s chief economist Torsten Slok has argued all year that there is no evidence AI is killing jobs, and his team’s late July study backs the headcount claim; matching Anthropic’s Claude usage data against federal wage and employment figures for 321 occupations, Apollo found employment holding steady while real wage growth in AI-exposed jobs lagged by 6.7 percentage points since 2023. Companies appear to be capturing AI’s productivity gains rather than passing them to workers. That evidence covers the corner of the economy where AI use is already measurable; the fear in Pew’s survey is about the whole economy over the next 20 years.
That said, none of the self-serving studies match my armchair research or my experience. Productivity gains continue to be the number one topic of conversation with my clients, and everyone is just learning how to measure ROI on enterprise AI.
One thing is completely clear: adults under 30 in the Pew survey will spend their entire working lives alongside AI. A majority of them now view its spread with more concern than excitement, and nearly three-quarters expect it to shrink the job market they are entering.
Every company needs a Claw strategy. Do you have one?
Author’s note: This is not a sponsored post. I am the author of this article and it expresses my own opinions. I am not, nor is my company, receiving compensation for it. This work was created with the assistance of various generative AI models.
About Shelly Palmer
Shelly Palmer is the Professor of Advanced Media in Residence at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and CEO of The Palmer Group, a consulting practice that helps Fortune 500 companies with technology, media and marketing. Named LinkedIn’s “Top Voice in Technology,” he covers tech and business for Good Day New York, is a regular commentator on CNN and writes a popular daily business blog. He's a bestselling author, and the creator of the popular, free online course, Generative AI for Execs. Follow @shellypalmer or visit shellypalmer.com.