Americans are most concerned about job losses due to artificial intelligence (AI), while their greatest hope is that AI can cure deadly diseases like cancer – according to a survey of nearly 52,000 people by Anthropic.
The survey results reveal a gap between what the public wants from AI and what they fear, as real-world figures for job losses and political pressure related to automation are rising across the United States.
Job loss is the biggest concern regarding AI.
Anthropic surveyed 51,993 Americans at the end of 2025 for their first Public Record study. Job loss topped the list of concerns with 64%, and was the biggest worry in every state.
The highest anxiety rate was in Iowa (71%) and the lowest in Mississippi (57%). This condition was common among both Democrats (67%) and Republicans (62%).
“People with graduate degrees in the U.S. are nearly 10 percentage points more worried about losing their jobs than those with only a high school diploma or lower,” according to the survey. “At the same time, those who use AI daily in the workplace are significantly less afraid of losing their jobs than those who have never used AI: 54% versus 70%.”
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Americans are worried about losing their jobs because of AI. Source: AnthropicFear of becoming dependent on technology ranks second at 56%, followed by concerns about misinformation at 52%. Only 15% of Americans say they trust the AI companies leading this technology. According to the survey results,
“This is the lowest rate among all organizations surveyed, lower than the federal government (20%), state and local governments (19%), and international organizations (20%), and significantly lower than independent experts (43%).”
AI is causing job losses for workers, and there's opposition from billionaires.
This fear isn't just theoretical. BeInCrypto reported that AI was responsible for 38,579 job cuts in the US in May, accounting for approximately 40% of all jobs lost that month.
As of the beginning of 2026, the number of jobs lost due to AI is 87,714. This figure has already exceeded the 54,836 jobs lost in all of 2025 related to this technology.
This pressure has reached Washington. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders have called on Congress to protect workers now .
However, not everyone agrees. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has rejected the idea that AI will take away jobs, predicting that AI will create labor shortages rather than unemployment. Bezos emphasized this point when his AI startup, Prometheus, raised $12 billion, bringing its valuation to $41 billion.
"Many families now have both spouses working, but perhaps one person will choose to stay home, thus returning to a single-person working household model," Bezos Chia .
Americans expect AI to cure diseases and to have control over them.
On the positive side, 48% of those surveyed expect AI to be able to cure serious diseases such as cancer or Alzheimer's, considering it one of the three most important applications of AI. Assisting people with disabilities ranked second with 36%.
Americans have high expectations for AI. Source: AnthropicAt the same time, the regulation of AI also received strong support. 71% of survey participants wanted the government to have a Vai in regulating AI, with 79% of Democrats and 68% of Republicans.
When asked how AI should be developed for the benefit of the community, 47% agreed that businesses should be held legally responsible if AI causes damage. Another 44% believed that safety should be prioritized over technological development.
Anthropic plans to continue conducting the Public Record survey as AI becomes more prevalent. Initial results show that the public has high expectations for AI breakthroughs, but remains skeptical about companies pursuing this technology.
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