Global Sentiment on Artificial Intelligence: A Comprehensive Analysis
Demonstrators rally outside OpenAI’s London headquarters on February 28, 2026. (Vuk Valcic/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) Research Overview
This investigation conducted by the Pew Research Center examines global perspectives on artificial intelligence (AI), with a specific focus on variations in opinion correlated with age and distinctions between high- and middle-income nations.
Purpose of the Study
The Pew Research Center is dedicated to providing insights that enable the public, media, and policymakers to grasp significant contemporary issues.
This international survey extends previous efforts, encompassing how residents from 25 nations perceive AI and measuring American sentiments regarding this transformative technology.
Methodology
Between February 8 and May 13, 2026, we conducted a comprehensive survey involving 42,151 participants from 36 countries—including Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, and more. The survey design aimed to reflect the opinions of each nation’s adult population.
In the United States, data stemmed from two surveys involving 5,119 adults from February 17 to 23, 2026, and another from June 22 to 28, with a total of 3,488 participants.
All respondents are members of the Center’s American Trends Panel, representing the broader views of U.S. adults.
The report delineates the survey questions employed, encompassing responses and methodological approaches.
As policymakers and business leaders engage in an urgent discourse regarding the economic ramifications of artificial intelligence, global citizens express significant apprehension.
In 34 out of 37 nations surveyed by Pew Research Center earlier this year, there exists a prevailing belief that AI will culminate in diminished job opportunities rather than increased employment.
The nuances of public opinion regarding AI remain in a state of flux; in numerous regions, upwards of 20% of adults remain uncertain regarding the technology’s impact on employment. This uncertainty climbs to approximately 40% in certain middle-income countries.
Notably, anxiety about job displacement tends to amplify in nations with heightened gross domestic product per capita.
For instance, in affluent countries such as Australia, South Korea, and the United States, around 70% of adults anticipate adverse employment outcomes within the ensuing 20 years.
The U.S. reflects a marked increase in this belief, with a 7-percentage-point rise observed over two years.
Perspectives by Age
In various countries, anxiety about job loss linked to AI is particularly prevalent among younger populations (ages 18 to 34) compared to older cohorts (ages 50 and above).
This trend is manifested in high-income nations such as Canada, France, Singapore, and Sweden, as well as in middle-income countries like India and Malaysia.
Conversely, older individuals in certain regions often express greater ambivalence about AI’s job-related implications.
In the U.S., a notable surge in concern regarding AI-induced job loss is most pronounced among individuals aged 18 to 34.
Perspectives by Gender
Among 11 predominantly high-income countries, women are statistically more inclined than men to perceive AI as a precursor to job losses. For instance, in France, women are 10 percentage points more likely than their male counterparts to adopt this perspective.
Perspectives by Education and Income
Within many surveyed middle-income nations, individuals with elevated household incomes and greater educational achievement are more likely to predict AI-related job reductions over the next two decades.
This trend largely correlates with lower-income and less-educated individuals exhibiting increased uncertainty regarding AI’s societal effects.
Perspectives by Awareness
In approximately half of the surveyed countries, individuals who demonstrate a high level of awareness about AI—having extensively engaged with the subject—are more likely to predict job loss compared to those with minimal exposure.
Notably, individuals with less awareness are generally more prone to exhibit uncertainty regarding AI’s implications.
Perceptions on AI’s Impact on Inequality
Overall, the majority of respondents assert that AI is more likely to exacerbate than alleviate disparities between the affluent and the impoverished.
Nevertheless, substantial proportions in various regions remain uncertain or believe AI will have minimal impact on economic inequality.
Concerns over inequality parallel anxieties around job loss, typically intensifying in nations with elevated GDP per capita.
Many affluent countries predicting job losses due to AI, such as South Korea and Australia, also register considerable belief in its potential to widen the chasm between socio-economic groups.
Conversely, a notable segment in several middle-income countries expresses uncertainty regarding inequality’s trajectory, a sentiment echoed even amidst some high-income nations like Germany and Singapore.
Globally, there is minimal belief that AI will reduce economic inequality. No country records more than one in four individuals espousing this view, while in 29 nations, this belief languishes in single digits.
Perspectives by Ideology
Ideological leanings notably shape public opinion regarding AI’s role in perpetuating inequality. In eight of the 28 countries where political affiliations were assessed, individuals identifying as left-leaning are more likely than their right-leaning counterparts to predict that AI will widen the wealth gap.
Historical data suggests that left-leaning individuals generally express more concern regarding economic disparities.
Liberals in the U.S. are 31 percentage points more inclined than conservatives to believe AI will increase inequality—a stark ideological divide.
Perspectives by Age
Age significantly influences perceptions regarding AI’s potential to exacerbate inequality. In the U.S., respondents under 35 are markedly more likely than those over 50 to posit that AI will intensify wealth disparities, with figures standing at 56% versus 38%. This shift mirrors similar sentiments observed in Australia, Canada, and Singapore.
However, a contrasting trend emerges in countries like Argentina, Chile, Hungary, Italy, and Peru, where older individuals express heightened belief in AI exacerbating the wealth gap.
Perspectives by Education and Income
In approximately one-third of surveyed nations, individuals with more education and greater household income are more likely to assert that AI will contribute to inequality.
Emotional Responses to AI
Global sentiments regarding the adoption of AI in quotidian life are decidedly mixed: Across 37 countries, a median 37% express more concern than enthusiasm, while a median 41% indicate simultaneous concerns and excitement.
This amalgamated sentiment is predominant in about half the surveyed countries. Notably, Israel is the sole nation where more individuals report being primarily excited than concerned.
Countries exhibiting pronounced concern surrounding AI, including Australia, Canada, Greece, Italy, and the U.S., also reflect significant apprehensions regarding job loss and widening inequality.
Conversely, South Korea presents a unique perspective; despite forecasting AI-induced job losses and increased inequality, many South Koreans express ambivalence, with a majority (61%) indicating equal measures of concern and excitement.
Awareness Influencing Views
In numerous nations, individuals with greater familiarity with AI—having engaged with relevant information—tend to harbor more optimistic views.
For instance, in Germany, among those well-acquainted with AI, 26% exhibit concern over excitement, whereas 59% feel ambivalent. Conversely, levels of concern markedly rise among individuals with little to no exposure to the subject.
Age Influencing Views
In 15 of the surveyed countries, older adults (50+) display greater concerns about AI than younger individuals (18 to 34), with this distinction holding particularly true among those who have less exposure to the technology.
Education Influencing Views
This trend of increased concern predominates among the less educated and those with lower incomes, as they are less likely to possess extensive knowledge while simultaneously expressing heightened anxiety.
Shifts in Concerns About AI
First, anxiety regarding AI has intensified in several nations. Reports reveal an uptick in the segment of adults expressing more concern than excitement, particularly in Sweden (+9 percentage points), Poland (+8), the Netherlands (+7), Hungary (+6), and Australia (+4).
While opinions in the U.S. have remained relatively stable over the past year, concerns have surged markedly since 2021.
Second, apprehension appears particularly pronounced among younger demographics.
Data indicates a persistent rise in anxiety toward AI, particularly among U.S. young adults. Since 2024, those aged 18 to 34 expressing greater concern than excitement have climbed from 40% to 55%.
Currently, they parallel their older counterparts regarding predominant concerns—a notable shift compared to just five years earlier.
Sweden exhibits a similar trend, as the generational gap in anxiety has nearly evaporated in the past year. Additionally, young adults in Poland, Brazil, Japan, and Australia are increasingly articulating concerns, although their older peers retain a higher propensity to express similar sentiments.
This wave of concern is also evident among adults aged 50 and older in various regions, including Poland and Sweden, where anxiety among young adults is on the rise, alongside a notable uptick in France, Hungary, and the Netherlands.
Source link: Pewresearch.org.
