Quinnipiac Poll Shows Rising American Anxiety Over AI Job Loss

A March 2026 poll by Quinnipiac University reveals a deepening divide between the adoption of artificial intelligence and public trust in the technology. While 51% of Americans now use AI tools for research, up from 37% the previous year, 80% express overall worry about AI. Specifically, 55% believe AI will cause more harm than good in daily life, marking an 11% increase from April 2025.

Labor market anxiety is central to these findings. Approximately 70% of respondents believe AI will reduce overall job opportunities, and 30% fear their own roles will become obsolete. Younger generations, including Gen Z and Millennials, report the highest familiarity with AI but the lowest optimism regarding the labor market. Despite these fears, 15% of Americans are willing to work for an AI boss, a trend seen in companies like Amazon and Workday that are using AI to automate middle-management tasks.

Public demand for oversight is high, with 74% of participants stating the government is not doing enough to regulate AI. This contrasts with corporate activity; Amazon, Meta, Google, and Microsoft plan to invest $650 billion in AI infrastructure this year. Meanwhile, executives like Marc Andreessen are funding midterm election candidates to lobby for light-touch regulation. A separate Fox News poll corroborates general concern, with 66% of registered voters worried about AI and 93% insisting that humans must make final decisions on lethal military strikes.