Global Survey Finds 40% Employees Fear AI Job Loss Amid Rising Adoption

Artificial intelligence adoption is rapidly increasing worldwide, particularly in the Global South where countries are leapfrogging traditional development stages to use AI in sectors like healthcare and agriculture. Despite this growth, concerns about job displacement persist, with experts like Geoffrey Hinton warning that AI is already surpassing human abilities in various domains and may replace routine cognitive jobs, potentially causing significant job losses. Hinton compares AI's impact on intellectual labor to the Industrial Revolution's effect on physical labor, emphasizing the risk of fewer jobs as AI takes over routine tasks. Additional warnings come from Chinese AI expert Andrew Yao, who highlights existential risks posed by deceptive AI behavior, urging stricter safety measures and human-aligned AI design. Meanwhile, fears about AI's economic impact are growing amid rising unemployment among recent college graduates, compounded by regulatory moratoriums such as that proposed under President Trump’s administration, which could delay governance of AI systems for a decade. Industry leaders stress that proper training, leadership, and tools are crucial to managing AI's challenges and maximizing its benefits while mitigating risks.