One in three Americans has a fear that artificial intelligence (AI) will make their job obsolete, according to a new poll released by Quinnipiac University. This data represents a sharp jump from just a year ago, signallaing how rapidly public anxiety about AI and employment is intensifying. The survey also found that 30% of Americans are concerned their specific job could be rendered obsolete by AI, which is up from 21% in April 2025. When a broader picture is taken into account, 7 in 10 Americans (70%) believe that advances in AI technology will lead to a general decrease in job opportunities across the economy.
Age group that is most worried by AI-led job cuts
The poll says that while the anxiety cuts across age groups, there are notable differences in intensity. Millennials are most concerned with about 34% of millennials saying that they worry their job will become obsolete. In comparison, 26% of Gen Z are worried about jobs getting obsolete.The gap widens further when looking at those who are “very concerned”: 15% of millennials fell into that category, compared to 7% of Gen Z. The reasons for the divide are not entirely clear, but millennials are more likely to be established in careers that could be directly disrupted by automation.Further, younger workers may feel more adaptable or less anchored to a specific role.
‘Problems’ with AI: Regulation, data centres and the Pentagon
Job fears are only part of the story as the poll reveals a broader and deeper unease about AI across multiple dimensions of American life. For example, on regulation, 74% of Americans believe the government is not doing enough to oversee the technology.On infrastructure, which includes data centres, 65% said they would oppose the construction of an AI data centre in their own community – a striking number given that tech companies are pouring in billions in creating them.On daily life, 55% of Americans believe AI will do more harm than good. And on the military use of AI, 51% said they oppose the use of AI to select targets in warfare. This finding is interesting because recently, the world saw a public dispute between AI company Anthropic and the Department of War over use of the AI technology in military.The Quinnipiac Poll was conducted between March 19 and 23 and included approximately 1,400 US adults, with a margin of error of 3.3 percentage points.