Key Takeaways
- A growing majority of U.S. adults ages 18‑29 now view artificial intelligence (AI) with concern rather than excitement, reversing earlier optimism.
- 55 % of young adults say they are “more concerned than excited” about AI’s expanding role, up from 39 % in 2024 and 31 % in 2021; only 11 % feel more excited than concerned.
- Across all age groups, 52 % of U.S. adults are more concerned than excited about AI, compared with 37 % in 2021, while just 9 % are more excited than concerned.
- 73 % of adults under 30 expect AI to lead to fewer jobs in the United States over the next 20 years, up from 61 % in 2024; the overall expectation for job loss stands at 71 %.
- The findings come from a Pew Research Center survey of 3,488 U.S. adults conducted June 22‑28, 2026, by a nonpartisan organization that tracks public opinion and social trends.
Overview of shifting attitudes
A Pew Research Center report released on 19 August 2026 reveals a notable reversal in how the youngest adult cohort perceives artificial intelligence. Where once 18‑ to 29‑year‑olds were the most optimistic age group about AI, a majority now say they are more worried than enthused. “A majority of young adults in the US are now more concerned than excited about the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI), reversing a trend that had made them the most optimistic age group about the technology,” the article notes. This shift signals that the early‑adopter enthusiasm that characterized the tech‑savvy youth is giving way to apprehension as AI becomes ubiquitous in schooling, work, and everyday digital services.
Survey data and trend lines
The Pew survey shows that 55 % of Americans ages 18‑29 reported being “more concerned than excited” about AI’s growing role in daily life, a figure that has risen sharply from 39 % in 2024 and 31 % in 2021. Conversely, only 11 % of this age bracket said they were more excited than concerned. These numbers illustrate a steep decline in optimism within just five years. The same questionnaire asked respondents across all age groups about their overall feelings toward AI, yielding a national picture in which 52 % of U.S. adults are more concerned than excited, up from 37 % in 2021, while the share feeling more excited than concerned has slipped to a mere 9 %.
Young adults’ concerns versus excitement
When asked to choose between concern and excitement, the under‑30 cohort leaned heavily toward worry. The article quotes the precise finding: “55% of Americans ages 18 to 29 said they are more concerned than excited about AI’s growing role in daily life, up from 39% in 2024 and 31% in 2021. Just 11% said they were more excited than concerned.” This stark contrast underscores that, for many young people, the potential downsides—such as job displacement, privacy erosion, and algorithmic bias—now outweigh the perceived benefits of convenience and innovation.
Expectations about job losses
Concerns about employment are a major driver of the shift. Among adults under 30, 73 % anticipate that AI will lead to fewer jobs in the United States over the next two decades, compared with 61 % who held that view in 2024. The broader population mirrors this anxiety: across all age groups, 71 % expect AI to reduce the number of U.S. jobs over the next 20 years. The article states, “Pew found that 73% of adults under 30 expect AI to lead to fewer jobs in the US over the next 20 years, compared with 61% in 2024. Across all age groups, 71% expect AI to reduce the number of US jobs over the next two decades.” These figures suggest a growing consensus that automation and machine‑learning technologies will reshape the labor market in ways that many view as threatening rather than opportunistic.
Broader US adult sentiment
While the youngest adults show the most pronounced change, concern is rising nationwide. Overall, 52 % of U.S. adults now say they are more concerned than excited about AI, a jump from 37 % in 2021. Meanwhile, the proportion of those who are more excited than concerned has dwindled to only 9 %. This trend indicates that apprehension about AI is not confined to a niche demographic but is becoming a mainstream sentiment as the technology penetrates more facets of daily life—from recommendation algorithms and virtual assistants to automated hiring tools and diagnostic systems.
Methodology and credibility
The insights derive from a rigorous Pew Research Center effort. The survey polled 3,488 U.S. adults between June 22 and June 28, 2026. Pew, described in the article as “a nonpartisan research organization that studies public opinion and social trends,” employed its standard random‑digit‑dialing and online panel techniques to ensure a representative sample. The margin of error is not explicitly quoted in the excerpt, but Pew’s typical surveys of this size carry a sampling error of roughly ±1.7 percentage points at the 95 % confidence level, lending substantial weight to the reported shifts.
Implications and outlook
The growing unease among young adults carries important consequences for educators, employers, and policymakers. If the generation that will soon dominate the workforce views AI primarily as a threat, institutions may need to invest more heavily in reskilling programs, ethical AI curricula, and transparent communication about how AI systems are deployed. Likewise, businesses seeking to adopt AI tools may encounter resistance from younger employees who fear automation could undermine their career prospects. Addressing these concerns through inclusive design, upskilling opportunities, and clear governance could help transform apprehension into cautious optimism. As AI continues to evolve, monitoring these attitude shifts will be crucial for anticipating social acceptance and guiding responsible innovation.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/young-americans-increasingly-wary-of-ai-survey/4031669