AI job fears rise among young adults: 10 key findings from Pew’s 37-country survey

Now, young adults are among the groups worried about what AI could mean for their jobs and economic future. A new global survey by Pew Research Center shows that in several countries, people aged 18 to 34 are more likely than older adults to believe that AI will reduce jobs. The concern is particularly visible in India. The country is among those where young adults are more likely than people aged 50 and above to expect AI to lead to job losses.

Pew Research Center surveyed adults across 37 countries for the report. The findings show that people are not simply divided into those who love AI and those who fear it. Many are both excited and concerned. Younger people, however, the fear of what AI could mean for their working lives is becoming harder to ignore.

Here are 10 key findings from the survey:

1.Young adults are increasingly worried about AI taking jobs

One of the clearest findings is that young people are not necessarily the most confident about AI’s impact on employment. In countries including India, Canada, France, Singapore, Sweden, Indonesia and Malaysia, adults aged 18 to 34 are more likely than those aged 50 and above to say AI will result in fewer jobs. This is important because younger people are entering or building their careers at a time when AI is rapidly becoming part of workplaces.

The concern is also visible in the United States, where Pew has tracked attitudes towards AI for several years. The increase in concern about job losses has been particularly sharp among Americans aged 18 to 34.

2.India is among the countries where the age gap stands out

India is part of a group of countries where young adults are more concerned about AI-related job losses than older adults.The Pew findings put India alongside countries such as Canada, France, Singapore, Sweden, Indonesia and Malaysia on this measure.

This shows that concern among younger Indians is not an isolated trend. It is part of a pattern seen across both high-income and middle-income countries. For a generation entering a competitive job market, the question is no longer simply whether AI will be useful. It is also whether some of the jobs they are preparing for will continue to exist in their current form.

3.In the US, young people’s concern has risen sharply

The US shows one of the clearest signs of how attitudes among young adults can change.Since 2024, the share of Americans aged 18 to 34 who say they are more concerned than excited about AI has increased from 40% to 55%. This means a majority of young Americans now fall into the more concerned than excited category.

Pew also points out that people under 35 are now about as likely as those aged 50 and above to say they are primarily concerned about AI. Five years ago, older adults were somewhat more concerned. The change shows how the AI debate has moved from excitement about new technology to questions about its impact on everyday life and work.

4.Job security is not the only worry

Young people’s concerns extend beyond employment. The survey also asked whether AI would increase or decrease the gap between rich and poor. Younger Americans under 35 were much more likely than those aged 50 and above to say AI would increase economic inequality.

In the US, 56% of adults under 35 held this view, compared with 38% of those aged 50 and above. A similar pattern was found among younger adults in Australia, Canada, Poland and Singapore.The concern is that if AI creates significant economic gains, young people may be asking who will receive those gains and who could be left behind.

5.Young people are not simply anti-AI

The survey does not show that young people have turned against artificial intelligence. Across the 37 countries surveyed, people expressed mixed feelings. The median share saying they were equally concerned and excited about AI was 41%. Another 37% were more concerned than excited. This shows that many people see both sides of the technology. AI can give new tools for learning, work and creativity. At the same time, people are thinking about job losses, inequality and the wider economic consequences. The younger generation appears to be part of this complicated relationship with AI rather than simply rejecting the technology

6. More awareness can also mean more concern about jobs

People who know more about AI are not necessarily less worried about its impact. In around half of the countries surveyed, people with high AI awareness were more likely than those with lower awareness to say the technology would lead to job losses. People with lower awareness were generally more likely to say they were unsure about what AI would do to jobs. This is an important distinction. Some concern may come from people who have a closer understanding of what AI can already do, rather than simply from unfamiliarity with the technology.

7. Wealthier countries are more worried about job losses

The fear of AI-driven job losses is particularly strong in several wealthy countries. In Australia, South Korea and the US, around seven in 10 adults or more believe AI will lead to fewer jobs over the next 20 years.

Pew found that concerns about job losses tend to be higher in countries with higher gross domestic product per person. The US is also showing a clear change over time. The share of Americans who believe AI will result in job losses has increased by seven percentage points in two years.

8.Young people are thinking about inequality too

The economic concern among younger people is broader than the fear of losing a job. In several countries, younger adults are more likely to believe that AI could widen the gap between rich and poor.

The survey found that people in wealthier countries often express stronger concerns about AI increasing inequality. South Korea, Australia, the US, Greece and Canada were among the countries where around four in 10 adults or more said AI would increase the gap between rich and poor. Very few people globally believe AI will reduce economic inequality. No country surveyed had more than one in four adults taking that view.

9.The biggest concern is not always among the youngest

In 15 of the countries surveyed, adults aged 50 and above were actually more likely than those aged 18 to 34 to be primarily concerned about AI. Older adults also tend to have lower levels of AI awareness in many countries. This means age alone does not determine how people view artificial intelligence. Country, income, education and awareness also shape people’s responses. In countries such as Italy, Hungary and Greece, for example, older people showed higher levels of concern than younger adults.

10. The AI debate among youngsters is changing from excitement to uncertainty

The larger message from the survey is that young people’s relationship with AI is changing. The generation that is expected to work alongside AI is also becoming more aware of the risks it could bring. The concern is especially visible around employment and economic inequality.

The change is mostly clear in the US, where the share of young adults who are more concerned than excited has risen from 40% in 2024 to 55% in 2026. Similar changes are visible among young adults in Sweden, Poland, Brazil, Japan and Australia, where younger people have become more likely to say they are primarily concerned about AI.

What does this mean for the AI generation?

The survey does not suggest that young people want AI to disappear. Instead, it shows a generation trying to understand what the technology means for its future.

For young workers, AI is arriving at the same time as they are trying to build careers. For students, it is becoming part of education even as questions remain about how much work should be handed over to machines. For young professionals, AI can make certain tasks easier while also raising questions about whether those same tasks will eventually require fewer people.

The Pew findings show that this tension is becoming more visible. Across 37 countries, people are weighing the opportunities offered by AI against concerns about jobs and inequality. Among young adults, the employment question stands out particularly strongly in several countries, including India.