Young Americans More Worried Than Excited About AI: Job Loss Fears and CEO Distrust on the Rise

Young Americans' interest in AI has plummeted sharply over the past years. A new Pew Research Center survey reveals that a majority of 18-30-year-olds now feel more concerned than excited about AI, with 55% of this demographic expressing concern—a significant increase from just two years ago. Across all age groups, AI excitement has declined since 2021, with the steepest drop among younger adults, where only 11% now feel more excited than concerned, down from 25% five years ago. Meanwhile, the belief that AI will lead to job losses has surged to 71%, with this concern particularly spiking among younger Americans, up 12 percentage points from 2024. Additionally, 48% of 18-30-year-olds believe AI will have a negative impact on society over the next 20 years, while 20% think AI chatbots hurt their creativity. A September survey found that 61% of this age group believes AI will worsen people's ability to think creatively, and 58% believe it will harm relationship-building skills. Despite these concerns, young Americans are the heaviest users of chatbots, with 66% reporting usage, up 11 percentage points from two years prior. Nearly half of all age groups now use chatbots, with 54% of 18-30-year-olds using them for information searches, 27% for medical advice, and 20% for emotional support. However, young Americans also distrust AI company CEOs the most. A CNBC survey found that 81% of 18-34-year-olds distrust Palantir's Alex Karp, 79% distrust Peter Thiel, 76% distrust Anthropic's Dario Amodei, 71% distrust Meta's Mark Zuckerberg, 70% distrust Elon Musk, and 69% distrust OpenAI's Sam Altman.

Markets reacting to these trends may face increased risks related to AI-driven job displacement and economic instability. The rising unemployment rates and extended hiring processes among young workers could force employers to reassess AI investments and workforce policies, potentially reshaping labor markets and corporate strategies.