A YouGov poll investigated American opinions regarding the impact of AI advancements on job availability in the US. The poll questioned individuals on whether AI would have a positive, negative, or neutral effect on job opportunities in 20 different occupations.
According to a poll of 20 occupations, it is believed that AI will decrease the number of jobs available in fields such as manufacturing, customer service, and retail sales. However, AI is expected to increase the total number of jobs available in computer programming, data science, and engineering. It is noted that for all fields, AI is more likely to be seen as decreasing rather than increasing the total number of jobs.
| Jobs | Increase | Have no effect | Decrease | Not sure |
| Accountants | 11% | 28% | 39% | 22% |
| Artists | 12% | 46% | 21% | 21% |
| Child care workers | 13% | 56% | 13% | 18% |
| Computer programmers | 29% | 20% | 35% | 16% |
| Customer service agents | 12% | 21% | 50% | 17% |
| Data scientists | 26% | 22% | 32% | 20% |
| Medical doctors | 12% | 47% | 21% | 19% |
| Engineers | 20% | 27% | 32% | 20% |
| Graphic designers | 18% | 24% | 38% | 21% |
| Journalists | 10% | 40% | 30% | 20% |
| Judges | 8% | 56% | 16% | 21% |
| Lawyers | 14% | 51% | 15% | 20% |
| Librarians | 9% | 31% | 40% | 20% |
| Market research analysts | 17% | 22% | 39% | 21% |
| Manufacturing workers | 14% | 19% | 52% | 15% |
| Real estate agents | 10% | 43% | 28% | 19% |
| Retail sales workers | 10% | 30% | 44% | 16% |
| Social workers | 13% | 48% | 20% | 19% |
| Teachers | 14% | 39% | 27% | 19% |
| Truck drivers | 11% | 47% | 25% | 18% |
American workers have mixed opinions on how AI advances will affect their industry. More think it will decrease job availability (29%) than increase it (12%), but 42% think there will be no effect. Younger workers and those with postgraduate degrees are more optimistic about an increase in jobs. Workers who frequently use AI tools at work are more likely to believe AI will increase job availability in their industry.
AI’s impact on the workplace is a topic of interest. Americans have mixed expectations on the effects of AI. They predict an increase in productivity, innovation, and automation of routine tasks. However, they also expect decreased job opportunities, worker satisfaction, and customer satisfaction. Operating costs are expected to decrease, but consumer costs may increase.
According to a survey, 50% of Americans believe that the government should regulate the use of AI in the workplace, while only 24% disagree. The majority of workers who use AI frequently are in favor of government intervention, with 75% supporting regulation compared to 46% of those who never use AI.
The poll included a question for workers regarding the potential impact of AI on their industry’s job market. Responses from 29% of workers who believe that AI will decrease job availability were collected and edited for grammar.
Various workers in different industries express their concerns about the potential threat of AI taking over their jobs. They hope that AI ground rules can be established to stabilize human employment.
Some workers believe that AI will improve accuracy and reduce manual errors, while others fear that they will be easily replaced by AI. Some workers in the film industry foresee AI taking over elements of writing, VFX, and editing.
When asked about the idea that AI will increase job availability in their industry, only 12% of workers agreed and offered their opinions.
One person in healthcare believes that new computer programs lead to a need for more employees to deal with them.
Another person in education thinks that AI cannot completely replace their job and that it may even create more work for people in education as other jobs are lost.
A software developer thinks that AI will feed the tech sector in the short term as more uses for it are discovered, but in the long term, it may decrease once the AI systems are established.
