Poll: 71% Americans fear AI will cause permanent unemployment
A new Reuters/Ipsos poll (August 18, 2025) found that 71% of respondents are concerned that AI will be putting too many people out of work permanently.
Even though unemployment is low right now, many feel uneasy as tech giants like Meta Platforms, Google owner Alphabet, and Microsoft keep rolling out advanced AI tools—something that's only ramped up since ChatGPT arrived in 2022.
Concerns about military decisions, electricity consumption
Most people aren't comfortable with AI making military decisions—only about a quarter support using it for picking strike targets.
There's also real concern about how much electricity these systems use (61% flagged this).
When it comes to education and relationships, opinions are split: some see potential benefits from AI in learning, but two-thirds worry it could replace genuine human connections.