A survey of nearly 52,000 Americans by Anthropic reveals job loss as the top fear about AI, cited by 64% of respondents, leading in all states and across party lines. Cognitive dependency (56%) and misinformation (52%) follow. Trust in AI companies is low at 15%, below all tested institutions. On the positive side, 48% rank curing diseases like cancer or Alzheimer's among their top hopes, and 36% cite helping people with disabilities. The survey found that frequent AI users are less worried about job loss (54%) than non-users (70%), while those with postgraduate degrees are more concerned. Real layoff data shows AI drove 38,579 US job cuts in May 2025, and 87,714 cuts have been attributed to AI for 2026, exceeding the 2025 total. Politicians like Warren and Sanders call for worker protections, while Amazon's Bezos argues AI will create labor scarcity. Public support for government oversight is high at 71%, with 47% backing legal liability for harm and 44% prioritizing safety over growth.

Key facts

• 64% of Americans fear AI-driven job loss, the top concern across all states and party lines.
• Trust in AI companies is lowest among all institutions at 15%.
• AI-related US job cuts: 38,579 in May 2025 and 87,714 planned for 2026.
• 48% hope AI will cure diseases like cancer; 36% want help for disabilities.
• 71% support government oversight; 47% back legal liability for AI harms.