54% of US Workers Wary of GenAI’s Impact on Jobs, Report Finds

Generative artificial intelligence presents a dual-edged sword for the American workforce, promising productivity gains while simultaneously sparking job displacement concerns.

The PYMNTS Intelligence report “Workers Say Fears About GenAI Taking Their Jobs Is Overblown” was based on a survey of 2,881 consumers in the United States conducted from Nov. 11 to Nov. 26. It delved into workers’ evolving attitudes toward generative AI, examining its perceived risks and rewards.

The report revealed a divergence between the perception of generative AI’s impact on the job market and its perceived threat to individual employment. While most workers agreed that the technology poses a systemic risk of job displacement, suggesting a widespread acknowledgment of its disruptive potential, a smaller proportion said their own jobs are in jeopardy.

This indicated a collective concern about the future of work in general, tempered by a degree of confidence, or perhaps unfamiliarity, regarding the security of one’s own specific role. The report highlighted that this perspective shift was influenced by factors such as familiarity and frequency of generative AI use.

Workers who frequently used generative AI were more likely to see its productivity benefits. For instance, 82% of those using generative AI at least weekly reported that it could increase their productivity, compared to lower percentages for less frequent users.

However, this familiarity also correlated with increased concern about job security. Those who regularly used generative AI’s capabilities were more likely to believe the technology could replace elements of their jobs. The report suggested that workers who experienced the productivity advantages firsthand tended to be more aware of the technology’s potential to automate or displace certain tasks. This dynamic was particularly pronounced in sectors like technology and among certain demographic groups such as millennials.

Key data points from the report underscored these attitudes:

• More than half of workers (54%) who were employed, seeking work or studying when surveyed agreed that generative AI posed a “significant risk of widespread job displacement.” This concern was more prevalent among those familiar with generative AI platforms (57%) compared to those unfamiliar (41%).
• Despite broad concern about general displacement, 38% of workers feared that generative AI could eventually lead to the elimination of their specific jobs. This personal job fear was higher among those using generative AI at least weekly (50%) compared to unfamiliar users (24%).
• Workers who used generative AI frequently were nearly three times more likely (74%) than those unfamiliar with specific platforms (27%) to believe the technology could replace elements of their jobs. This perception of replaceability was particularly high in the technology sector.

Beyond the core findings on job displacement and productivity, the report touched on how these attitudes varied across different industries and demographic segments, noting, for example, differing levels of concern between technology workers, healthcare professionals and educators. It also pointed to distinctions in outlook between younger generations (Generation Z and millennials) and their older counterparts (Generation X and baby boomers/seniors).

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