Young Americans Express Growing Anxiety Over AI, Landmark Pew Survey Reveals

Topline

For the first time, a majority of American adults under 30 express more concern than excitement regarding artificial intelligence, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. The study reveals that enthusiasm for AI has declined across all age groups since 2021.

Key Facts

According to a Pew Research Center survey assessing public sentiment on the growing integration of AI into daily life, 55% of adults under 30 now express more concern than excitement about the technology. This represents a significant increase from two years prior, when only 39% of respondents in this age group felt more concerned than excited.

Across all age groups, a majority of U.S. adults—52%—report feeling more concerned than excited about AI. This figure is roughly in line with recent years but marks an increase from 2022, when 38% of respondents held a more concerned than excited view.

Excitement about AI has declined across all demographics since 2021, with the most dramatic drop observed among adults under 30. In this group, only 11% of respondents now say they are more excited than concerned about AI, down from 25% five years ago.

The survey also highlights economic anxieties, with 71% of Americans believing that AI will lead to fewer job opportunities over the next two decades. This is an increase from 64% in 2024.

This economic concern is particularly pronounced among younger adults, with 73% of those under 30 believing AI will reduce job opportunities, up from 61% in 2024.

tangent

Broader Pew research indicates a persistent negativity among young adults regarding the societal impact of AI. A June survey revealed that 48% of adults under 30 believe AI’s long-term impact on society will be negative, compared to only 14% who anticipate a positive impact. Additionally, approximately 20% of young adults believe AI chatbots hinder creativity. A September survey further highlighted these concerns, showing that 61% of adults under 30 believe AI will worsen creative thinking skills, while 58% feel it will negatively affect relationship-building abilities—both representing the highest levels of concern across all age groups.

contra

Despite these negative perceptions, young adults remain the most active users of AI chatbots. A June Pew survey found that 66% of adults under 30 use chatbots, an increase of 11 percentage points from two years prior. Overall, 49% of Americans across all age groups use chatbots, with usage rising since the 2024 survey. Among young adults, chatbots are utilized for a variety of purposes: 20% seek emotional advice, 27% seek medical advice, and 54% use them for general information searches.

surprising fact

A CNBC survey published last week revealed widespread distrust among Americans aged 18 to 34 toward the CEOs of major AI companies. When asked about trust in these leaders to act responsibly on AI, respondents expressed high levels of skepticism: 81% 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.

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