A recent survey conducted by Harris Poll and the American Staffing Association has shed light on the increasing concerns among employees, including managers, regarding the potential impact of artificial intelligence on their jobs. The survey revealed that 44% of individuals in managerial and professional roles believe that automation could easily replace their jobs. Overall, 47% of the more than 2,000 respondents expressed the view that machines could easily render them jobless. These figures show a significant increase from a comparable survey conducted in 2017, where only 27% of workers believed that automation, encompassing both robots and AI, could replace their positions.
The survey findings also indicate that even within specific sectors, such as healthcare, there is a degree of apprehension. Approximately 39% of healthcare workers surveyed were concerned about their jobs being replaced by machines. Furthermore, a majority of respondents, 74% in total, believed that increased automation would lead to higher unemployment. Interestingly, younger generations appeared to be more concerned about the possibility of job replacement, with 55% of Gen Z and millennial employees convinced that their jobs could easily be taken over by automation, compared to 41% of Gen Xers and only 26% of baby boomers who shared the same sentiment.
Despite these fears, a majority of those surveyed maintained optimism that AI could be beneficial in the workplace. The level of enthusiasm, however, varied across job levels. While 73% of C-suite bosses and 65% of senior managers agreed that automation is advantageous for workers, only 51% of individual contributors shared this sentiment.
These survey findings align with a recent study conducted by the Pew Research Center, which revealed that jobs with a high degree of exposure to AI tend to be higher-paying positions that often require a college education and analytical skills to perform effectively. According to Pew, workers with a bachelor's degree or higher are twice as likely as those with only a high school diploma to experience job disruptions due to technology.
Overall, the survey results emphasize the growing concerns about the potential impact of AI on various job roles, while also highlighting the optimism and varying levels of enthusiasm about the benefits of automation in the workplace.