Public concern over the impact of artificial intelligence on jobs is deepening, with most people now believing AI will destroy more jobs than it creates and worsen pressure on young workers entering the labour market.
Major new research suggests anxiety about AI is spreading across the workforce, universities and businesses, with many people fearing rapid advances in the technology could trigger widespread unemployment and social instability.
The study comes as employers accelerate AI adoption across workplaces and graduate job vacancies continue to decline in several sectors.
Research from The King’s Institute for Artificial Intelligence and the Policy Institute at King’s College London found that 69 percent of workers were worried about the economic impact of AI-driven job losses, while 57 percent of the public believed AI would eliminate more jobs than it created.
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Growing fears for young workers
Concern was particularly strong around entry-level white-collar roles and the prospects facing younger workers entering employment.
Most of the public and employers surveyed agreed with Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei’s prediction that AI could eliminate half of entry-level white-collar jobs within five years.
One in five people also believed AI could eliminate jobs quickly enough to trigger civil unrest, rising to a third among university students.
Half of respondents said the economic effects of AI-driven job losses could be worse than a normal recession because the technology would continue improving and replacing work faster than employees could retrain.
The research also suggested widespread scepticism over claims that AI will ultimately create more employment opportunities than it removes. Only a quarter of the public agreed with predictions from the World Economic Forum that AI would create twice as many jobs globally as it displaced by 2030.
Despite broader fears about employment, many workers appeared less worried about their own immediate position. More than half said they were not concerned about AI replacing their personal role, although graduate workers were significantly more anxious than non-graduates.
Employers adopting AI rapidly
The report suggested AI adoption inside businesses was accelerating quickly despite growing public unease. Almost all employers surveyed said they were already using AI in some part of their organisation, most commonly for data analysis, research and administrative work.
More than eight in ten employers reported productivity improvements linked to AI use, while around a fifth said they had already reduced hiring or made roles redundant because of the technology.
The figure rose to almost three in ten among larger organisations. Many employers also reported increasing pressure from investors, shareholders and senior leadership teams to adopt AI tools more rapidly.
The study suggested many people believed the economic rewards from AI would primarily benefit wealthy investors and large corporations rather than workers themselves.
Professor Bobby Duffy, director of the Policy Institute at King’s College London, said concern over jobs and economic disruption was widespread across different sections of society.
“The public, workers, young people and university students are watching the rapid development of AI with more fear than excitement, with real concern for what it will do to jobs, particularly at entry levels, and, therefore, the prospects for our young people and the economy in general,” he said.
He said many people remained unconvinced by predictions that the labour market would adapt successfully to rapid technological change.
“On that, the public’s instinct is to move more carefully, with the majority favouring regulation and protection of jobs over fast adoption, alongside clear government and employer-backed plans for retraining,” he said.
Concerns over education and preparedness
The research also raised questions about whether schools, universities and employers are adequately preparing young people for an AI-driven labour market.
Only one in five respondents believed the education system was preparing young people well for a world shaped by AI. Although most university students said they would still choose to go to university despite the growth of AI, almost a third said they would now choose a different subject.
Students also reported widespread problems with AI-generated content, including factual inaccuracies and fabricated sources.
Professor Elena Simperl, director of The King’s Institute for Artificial Intelligence, said the public was not necessarily rejecting AI itself, but wanted stronger safeguards and more responsible development.
“These findings tell us something important: the British public isn’t asking us to slow down on AI; they’re asking us to do it better,” she said.
She said the results also pointed to a notable gender divide in attitudes towards AI, with women generally more cautious about the technology than men.
“That should make us ask who we are designing for, and who is being left out of the conversation,” she said.
The study surveyed more than 4,500 people across four separate groups, including members of the public, university students, young people and employers.
William Furney is a Managing Editor at Black and White Trading Ltd based in Kingston upon Hull, UK. He is a prolific author and contributor at Workplace Wellbeing Professional, with over 127 published posts covering HR, employee engagement, and workplace wellbeing topics. His writing focuses on contemporary employment issues including pension schemes, employee health, financial struggles affecting workers, and broader workplace trends.
- William Furney
- William Furney
- William Furney
- William Furney
