Artificial Intelligence Anxiety Around the U.S.

The use of artificial intelligence for everything from copywriting to (nearly) defending someone in court has been a hot topic since the release of ChatGPT in November 2022. Naturally, that begs the question, what else will people use AI for in the business world in the coming years?

We surveyed American workers from different industries to find out what anxieties they have about AI potentially taking their jobs, how much they use it themselves, and if it could signal a career change for them moving forward. Read on to find out what they had to say.

The U.S. States Most Anxious about Artificial Intelligence Taking Jobs

The map above provides valuable insights into the states that feel the most and least anxious about the potential impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on job displacement. The anxiety ratings below are on a scale of 1 to 10, with higher values indicating greater concern among different states.

The States Most Anxious About AI

Washington – 7.0/10:

• A significant 94% of respondents from Washington express concern about the economic impacts associated with AI.

Mississippi – 6.5/10:

• Likewise, 64% of individuals in the state of Mississippi believe there should be stronger government regulations in place regarding artificial intelligence.

Maine – 6.3/10:

• While 70% of respondents from Maine shared their concerns about the economic impacts of AI, only 35% believe that AI will eventually evolve into a sentient being.

The States Least Anxious About AI

New Mexico – 4.8/10:

• Residents of New Mexico are the least anxious overall, with only 29% of respondents from the Land of Enchantment expressing concerns about AI becoming sentient.

Kansas – 4.9/10:

• Although Kansas ranks low in terms of overall anxiety, 70% of respondents still hold concerns about the economic impacts of AI.

North Carolina – 5.1/10:

• Similarly, 60% of North Carolinians believe that progress in the field of AI should halt until stronger government regulations are in place.

The Use of Artificial Intelligence At Work

As the saying goes, “A magician never reveals all his tricks,” as we found that 26% of respondents who use AI tools in their work actively choose to withhold this information from their colleagues or supervisors.

Similarly, we found that two-thirds of Americans (66%) experience some level of anxiety at work concerning the potential for AI to completely replace their roles, while an impressive 40% of Americans believe that AI could definitely do their job for them.

This figure increases to 52% when considering a timeframe of five years into the future, suggesting a growing perception that AI is encroaching upon human job roles at an accelerated pace.

Notably, the sentiment varies across industries, with 45% of individuals working in the Finance sector believing that AI could fulfill their job responsibilities, compared to 29% among those in STEM fields.

When asked whether Americans perceive AI as more of a tool or a threat, over one in five (22%) say that they view AI as a threat. Noticeably, 25% of those working in Finance agreed with this perspective, compared to 16% of individuals in STEM fields.

What Americans Think of Artificial Intelligence

A remarkable 65% of Americans are surprised at the rate that AI is developing at. With tools like ChatGPT and Bard taking the working world by storm, it would appear that AI is evolving at lightning speed and catching many off guard in the process.

When asked about the professions they believe will be significantly impacted by AI within the next decade, Americans pointed to customer service (59%), grocery store clerks (52%), computer programmers (51%), and financial analysts (50%) as the most vulnerable.

A considerable 42% of Americans express concerns about AI eventually reaching a state of sentience, realizing the fears of many a sci-fi author. The unease surrounding the possibility of AI systems gaining consciousness or independent decision-making abilities raises ethical questions that some Americans think we may need to answer sooner rather than later.

Finally, 53% of Americans believe developers should halt further AI advancements until the government establishes more stringent rules and regulations. Notably, professionals in the Business Management sector agree the most with this sentiment, with 60% supporting the idea.

Conversely, those in the IT field exhibit lower agreement, with 45% endorsing the notion of waiting on more rigid regulations to slow down progress in the world of artificial intelligence.

Closing Thoughts

Overall, we found that many Americans harbor genuine concerns and mixed emotions regarding the potential impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on job security. 

The rapid advancement of AI has taken some by surprise, leading to questions about its implications for various professions. However, amidst these concerns, individuals and businesses must adapt and find new ways to stay relevant in the ever-changing and evolving job market. 

This is where tools like Ayrshare come into play. With its powerful APIs, Ayrshare provides developers and businesses of all sizes with the tools to effortlessly send social media posts, enabling effective communication of brand messages and seamless connection with audiences. One easy way for social media managers to adapt to the changing landscape is by creating social media posts with ChatGPT API.

As the world of work evolves, embracing AI and leveraging similar tools becomes crucial for businesses to optimize their operations, streamline processes, and focus on higher-value tasks that require human creativity and problem-solving abilities. 

Striking the right balance between technology and human capabilities will enable businesses to confidently navigate the future and harness the power of AI to enhance productivity and maintain a competitive edge in the digital world.

Methodology

To find out more about how Americans view artificial intelligence (AI), we surveyed over 2,000 people from 43 U.S. states and asked them to rate their anxiety about the different potential impacts of AI and some yes/no questions about how concerned it makes them.

We also surveyed an additional 1,000 Americans across five industries to find out which ones think AI could do their job and get more general insights into how Americans feel about recent advancements in AI. The survey ran over a two-week period in May 2023. The industries included in the survey were: Finance, Marketing/Sales, Information Technology (IT), Business Management/Administration, and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).