Americans rank job loss as their top fear regarding artificial intelligence (AI), while their highest hope is for it to cure serious illnesses like cancer, according to a survey of nearly 52,000 people by Anthropic.

This survey reveals the gap between what the public wants from AI and what individuals are worried about, amidst actual layoff data and political pressure regarding the expanding automation across the United States.

Job loss is the number one fear over other AI-related issues.

Anthropic surveyed 51,993 Americans in late 2025 in the first study; Job Loss was the number one fear at 64% and ranked first across all states.

Concern levels are at 71% in Iowa and 57% in Mississippi, with Democrats showing 67% concern while Republicans are at 62%.

Americans with a master's degree or higher are nearly 10 percentage points more concerned about job loss than those with a high school diploma or less. Meanwhile, those using AI in the workplace every day are significantly less worried about job loss than those who don't use AI at all, 54% compared to 70%.

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Concerns about reliance on AI stand at 56% and misinformation at 52%, with only 15% of Americans stating they trust AI companies to guide technology in the right direction, according to the survey results.

This is the lowest figure for any institution we tested, below the federal government (20%), state and local (19%), and international organizations (20%), and significantly lower than independent experts (43%).

Layoffs due to AI and backlash from billionaires.

This fear is not unfounded; BeInCrypto reports that AI caused the layoffs of 38,579 jobs in the U.S. in May, accounting for about 40% of total layoffs that month.

Throughout 2026, employers linked layoffs to AI for 87,714 workers, which is more than the 54,836 positions in 2025 for the entire year.

The pressure has reached Washington; Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders are calling for Congress to take action to protect workers now.

Not everyone agrees; Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, rejects the idea that robots will cause job loss, predicting instead that AI will create labor shortages. Bezos discussed this while his AI startup Prometheus raised $12 billion at a $41 billion valuation.

Bezos stated that many who currently have dual incomes per household may choose not to participate in the job market, thus becoming single-income households.

Americans want innovations in disease treatment and accountability.

On a hopeful note, 48% of respondents prioritize the treatment of serious illnesses like cancer or Alzheimer's for AI involvement, with assistance for the disabled coming in second at 36%.

Support for regulation is very high, with 71% of respondents wanting the government to play a role in AI, including 79% of Democrats and 68% of Republicans.

When asked about how to regulate AI development for the benefit of humanity, 47% support holding companies legally accountable for harm, while 44% prioritize safety over growth.

Anthropic plans to replicate the Anthropic Public Record as AI adoption grows. Initial surveys indicate the public is eager for innovation but still skeptical of the companies creating that innovation.

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