A 37-country Pew survey finds growing awareness of AI — and rising concern, especially in wealthier nations and among some younger adults.
Artificial intelligence is spreading fast. Public confidence in its economic benefits, however, is less certain.
A new Pew Research Center survey of 42,151 adults across 37 countries finds that in 34 countries, more people expect AI to reduce jobs than create them over the next 20 years.
The concern is particularly strong in wealthier countries. In Australia, South Korea and the United States, roughly seven-in-ten or more adults expect AI to lead to job losses. In the U.S., that share has risen 7 percentage points in just two years.
AI is also seen as a threat to economic equality
People are similarly concerned about AI widening the gap between rich and poor.
Across many countries, people are more likely to say AI will increase economic inequality than reduce it. In South Korea, Australia, the U.S., Greece and Canada, at least four-in-ten adults say AI will widen the wealth gap.
Few expect AI to reduce inequality: in 29 of 37 countries, fewer than one-in-ten adults hold that view.
Political ideology matters too. In eight of the 28 countries where Pew measured ideology, people on the left are more likely than those on the right to say AI will increase inequality. In the U.S., the gap is 31 percentage points.
Younger people are increasingly uneasy about AI
Concern isn't confined to older generations.
In countries including Canada, France, Singapore, Sweden, India, Indonesia and Malaysia, younger adults are more likely than older adults to expect AI-driven job losses.
The shift is especially pronounced in the U.S. Since 2024, the share of Americans ages 18–34 who say they are more concerned than excited about AI has jumped from 40% to 55%.
Young adults in Sweden, Poland, Brazil, Japan and Australia have also become more concerned over the past year.
Concern and excitement coexist
Public sentiment toward AI is not simply negative.
Across the 37 countries, a 37% median say they are more concerned than excited about AI's growing role in daily life, while 41% say they are equally concerned and excited.
Israel is the only country where those primarily excited outnumber those primarily concerned.
South Korea illustrates the complexity: 61% say they are equally concerned and excited, even though South Koreans are among the most likely to expect AI to cause job losses and increase inequality.
Awareness changes the picture
People who know more about AI often have more nuanced — and sometimes more optimistic — views.
In many countries, those who have heard or read a lot about AI are more likely to feel excited about it, while people with less awareness are more likely to be unsure or primarily concerned.
The broader picture is therefore mixed: AI is generating both anticipation and anxiety, but its potential impact on jobs and inequality is emerging as a major source of public concern worldwide.
Survey: 42,151 adults in 37 countries, conducted Feb. 8–May 13, 2026, by Pew Research Center.