World Mixed on AI: Concern, Curiosity, and Job Worries
Adults in 37 countries report mixed feelings about artificial intelligence, with a median of 41% saying they are equally concerned and excited and a median of 37% saying they are more concerned than excited, according to Pew Research Center data published Sept. 17, 2026. Think of the median as the middle country when all 37 are lined up in order. Excitement alone is uncommon. The figures provide the most current cross-national baseline on AI sentiment.
In the United States, expectations center on job loss. Seventy-one percent of U.S. adults said AI will lead to fewer jobs in the United States over the next 20 years, up from 64% in 2024, according to Pew Research Center analysis published Aug. 18, 2026. The two estimates are two years apart, and the later estimate is higher.
The age pattern is uneven. Thirty-six percent of adults under age 35 say AI will lead to fewer jobs over the next 20 years, compared with 11% of adults ages 50 and older, according to Pew Research Center analysis of young people's views published Sept. 17, 2026. The gap is wide. The estimates describe expectations about employment, not current use.
An earlier Pew survey across 25 countries found a median of 34% saying they were more concerned than excited about the increased use of artificial intelligence in daily life, according to Pew Research Center data published Oct. 15, 2025. The country count differs. Question wording also differs from the 2026 global survey.
Frequent young users describe a different mix. Among Gen Z daily AI users, 69% report feeling curious about AI and 44% report feeling excited, according to Gallup polling published April 8, 2026. Curiosity outpaces excitement. The data capture self-reported emotions among those with the most intensive exposure.
Among employers, confidence is higher. In Gallup's Singapore Workplace Report 2026, AI leaders' confidence that their organisations can realise value from AI averaged 4.11 out of 5, according to Gallup. The metric measures leadership self-assessment on a five-point scale.
The broader context here is a split between exposure and expectation. Publics are not settling into clear pro or anti camps. The median response is dual, concerned and excited at once, while outright concern outweighs outright excitement. Labor-market expectations lean pessimistic, particularly in the United States and among younger adults, even as the youngest intensive users report curiosity and excitement in their own encounters with the tools.
Looking at what this means for policymakers and institutions, the divide to watch is between operational confidence and social license. Leaders reporting high confidence in value will be making deployment and hiring decisions that publics already associate with fewer jobs. That does not predetermine regulatory outcomes, but it frames the negotiation over disclosure, worker consultation, and the distribution of productivity gains. For diplomats and multilateral bodies, the cross-country medians suggest the politics of AI will be fought less over abstract enthusiasm and more over employment credibility.
