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While voters are not highly concerned about AI impacting their own jobs, a majority think that AI is likely to increase the U.S. unemployment rate and exacerbate wealth inequality.
The introduction highlights an ongoing debate regarding Artificial Intelligence's influence on the American job market, with analyses ranging from minimal disruption to forecasts of widespread job displacement. A prior Data for Progress survey explored general public perceptions of AI across different demographics. A more recent comprehensive survey by Data for Progress specifically investigated voters' expectations for AI's economic effects, including its impact on unemployment, individual job security, and wealth distribution for both billionaires and everyday citizens. The key finding indicates a growing apprehension among voters: a significant plurality (46%) now believes AI will detrimentally affect the American economy, a notable increase from the 37% who held this view in December 2025. This shift is particularly pronounced among Democrats, whose belief that AI will harm the economy has jumped from 34% to 53%. Demographic analysis further reveals that women (53%), Democrats (53%), individuals aged 45 and older (51%), and those without a college education (51%) are more likely to think AI will have a negative economic impact compared to their male (39%), Republican (39%), younger (36%), and college-educated (38%) counterparts.
When asked about the potential impact of AI on national employment, a clear majority of voters expressed concern. Specifically, 54% of respondents believe that AI is likely to cause an increase in the percentage of Americans who are unemployed. In stark contrast, only a small fraction, 11%, anticipates that AI will lead to an improvement in employment rates. This sentiment underscores a widespread public perception that the advent and proliferation of AI technologies could have a negative effect on overall job availability and stability within the U.S. economy.
Despite the general apprehension about AI's impact on national unemployment, the survey found that most employed voters are less worried about their personal job security. While 37% of currently employed individuals reported being "very concerned" or "somewhat concerned" that AI or automation might reduce or completely displace their jobs, a larger majority (63%) indicated they were "only a little concerned" or "not concerned at all." This suggests a potential disconnect between macro-level economic fears and individual professional outlooks. Furthermore, a significant partisan gap was observed in these concerns: 49% of Democrats are concerned about AI impacting their own work, a rise from 39% in August 2025. In contrast, only 34% of Independents and 27% of Republicans share similar levels of personal job-related worry, with their concern percentages showing slight declines.
The survey delved into voters' perceptions of how AI might affect wealth distribution. A strong majority of 65% of voters agreed with the statement that "AI will increase the wealth of billionaires," indicating a belief that the benefits of AI will disproportionately accrue to the ultra-rich. Conversely, a substantial majority of 57% of voters explicitly disagreed with the notion that "AI will increase the wealth of everyday people." This stark difference in opinion highlights a prevailing public sentiment that AI, while potentially generating significant wealth, is more likely to exacerbate existing economic inequalities rather than contribute to broader prosperity for the general populace.
Beyond economic implications, voters foresee a mixed bag of both beneficial and detrimental societal changes due to AI. On the negative side, strong majorities expressed concern about AI's potential to undermine human capabilities: 75% agreed that "using AI could make it harder for people to be creative and think for themselves," and 71% believed that "using AI for emotional comfort or advice could hurt how we connect with other people." However, voters also acknowledged potential upsides. At least 3 out of 5 respondents (63%) agreed that AI "could make work faster and easier, giving us more free time," and a similar percentage (61%) believed it "will lead to medical and scientific breakthroughs." This balanced view suggests that while the public is wary of certain social costs, they also recognize the significant advancements AI could bring. Importantly, a majority of 57% disagreed that "AI capabilities are overblown," indicating a serious consideration of AI's transformative power on people's lives and jobs.
The data for this brief was gathered through a comprehensive survey conducted by Data for Progress between February 13 and February 17, 2026. The survey included 1,228 U.S. likely voters who participated nationally via web panels. To ensure the representativeness of the findings, the sample was carefully weighted to align with the demographic characteristics of likely voters, including age, gender, education level, race, geographical location, and their recalled presidential vote. The survey was administered exclusively in English. It is important to note that the margin of error for the overall sample size is ±3 percentage points, with subgroups potentially having increased margins of error. The partisanship reported in the tabulations is based on respondents' self-identified party affiliation, rather than their formal partisan registration status.