In Brief
For the first time, a majority of Americans under 30 say they are more concerned than excited about AI in daily life, according to new Pew Research Center data.
Job fears drive the shift, and Paul Roetzer thinks the bigger story is what they could do to the politics of AI.
What Happened
Young Americans are souring on AI, and job insecurity is the reason. Axios reported on new Pew Research Center data showing that for the first time, a 55% U.S. adults under 30, say they are more concerned than excited about the increased use of AI in daily life. That is up from 31% in 2021, and only about one in ten now say they are more excited than concerned.
The Pew survey of 3,488 U.S. adults, conducted in late June, points straight at the job market: 73% of adults under 30 now say AI will lead to fewer jobs in the U.S. over the next two decades, up from 61% who had that concern two years ago. A separate Axios-Generation Lab poll found 27% of Americans aged 18 to 34 believe they or someone they know has lost a job because of AI.
The timing is rough for people entering the workforce, who are heavy AI users competing for the entry-level jobs AI threatens.
SmarterX founder and CEO Paul Roetzer broke down what the data says, and where its framing falls short, on Episode 233 of The Artificial Intelligence Show.
The Key Numbers
55% - Adults under 30 more concerned than excited about AI, according to Pew Research
31% - Adults under 30 more concerned than excited about AI in 2021, before ChatGPT, according to Pew
73% - Adults under 30 expecting fewer U.S. jobs from AI over two decades, Pew found
27% - Americans 18-34 who believe they or someone they know lost a job to AI, according to an Axios-Generation Lab poll
5% - Adults who say AI will lead to more jobs
Why Pew's Data is Credible
Comes from a highly respected source. "Pew's obviously a highly respected research firm, and this data is probably as good as any you're going to see around these topics," says Roetzer, although two things struck him as odd.
The 2021 baseline is misleading. The headline comparison spans the release of ChatGPT. "So 2021, we obviously didn't have ChatGPT yet, and the average person that would be answering these questions would have no idea what the hell anybody was talking about if they asked them, 'Are you using AI daily in your daily life?'" says Roetzer. The real shift is 24 percentage points over five years, which he actually expected to be bigger.
The two-decade window is the bigger problem. Across all adults, 71% told Pew AI will lead to fewer U.S. jobs over the next 20 years. Roetzer says he totally believes that data point, but the two-decade qualifier undercuts how useful it is.
"That's an absurd timeline to even ask someone about. If they asked over the next two years, then that data point carries way more weight with me."
— Paul Roetzer, founder and CEO of SmarterX, Episode 233 of The Artificial Intelligence Show
He figures a two-year version would still return a very similar number. Just 5% of adults think AI will lead to more job, Pew found.
The real significance is political. For Roetzer, the takeaway centers on voter perception. "You could quickly see this kind of data starting to play a much more prominent role in the 2026 midterms," he says. Right now the data center backlash, voter anger over the massive facilities being built to power AI, is working for Democrats. If the party decides the jobs narrative carries as much weight, this polling might move to the center of the campaign. And if jobs does not become front-and-center in the 2026 elections, Roetzer expects it to be the defining AI topic by 2028.
SmarterX Take
For business leaders, this is a workforce story as much as a political one. The next wave of hires arrives fluent in AI and worried about it, and more than a quarter already believe AI has taken a job from someone they know. That belief shapes how they will hear every AI announcement a company makes.
It also raises the bar on communication. If leadership rolls out AI tools without explaining what happens to people that use them, employees will fill the silence with the most pessimistic version of the story. The polling shows they already believe it. Clear answers about which tasks AI takes over, which roles change, and where people can reskill are quickly becoming a retention issue.
What to Watch
Jobs could overtake data centers as the top AI issue for politicians. Track whether campaigns start testing job-loss messaging alongside the data center backlash ahead of the 2026 midterms. If it resonates with voters, expect it everywhere.
The next rounds of polling will show whether current sentiment lasts. Future Pew waves, and any follow-up on the Axios-Generation Lab data that attributes job loss to AI, will show whether this is simply a dip in sentiment or a lasting shift against AI from the youngest workers.
What 2,100+ Professionals Expect AI to Do to Jobs
Pew's jobs number matches what professionals say inside companies. In the 2026 State of AI for Business Report, 71% of professionals said AI will eliminate more jobs than it creates over the next three years, the same 71% Pew found among U.S. adults on a 20-year horizon. Yet just 20% say they are concerned about AI's impact on their own role, a gap leaders have to manage directly.
The full report, based on 2,100+ responses from professionals across roles, functions, and industries, covers where organizations stand on adoption, sentiment, governance, and training. Read the full report →
Mike Kaput
Mike Kaput is the Chief Content Officer at SmarterX and a leading voice on the application of AI in business. He is the co-author of Marketing Artificial Intelligence and co-host of The Artificial Intelligence Show podcast.