The fear that artificial intelligence (AI) will cause job destruction is not limited to certain nations or groups of workers. Recent studies show that this apprehension manifests in various geographical areas and segments of the labor market.
Furthermore, the data suggests a picture that transcends the notion of mass layoffs caused by AI. The first signs of change emerge in more discreet modifications, notably in the entry of young people into the job market and in the way corporations implement and manage the use of these tools.
Analysis of impact on young professionals
An updated examination conducted by the Stanford Digital Economy Lab, using ADP payroll data covering millions of employees in the United States up to June 2026, revealed signs of influence particularly among younger professionals.
According to the study, the employment rate of individuals aged between 22 and 25 in roles highly susceptible to AI is 19% below expectations when compared to young people working in positions less exposed to technology.
The researchers themselves made a crucial caveat: these numbers do not imply that 19% of these workers were laid off due to AI, nor do they prove a cause-and-effect relationship, as other economic factors could have affected the results. The observed pattern seems more associated with a reduction in new hires than a sharp increase in layoffs, indicating that the change may be occurring primarily at the entry phase into companies.
For more experienced professionals, the study did not identify a comparable disparity, and in some roles, the employment level remained stable or even grew.
Study on task delegation
Another investigation, conducted by the Stanford SALT Lab, assessed how so-called AI agents can modify the work of about 70 million people in the United States. The researchers interviewed 1,500 professionals from 104 professional categories and examined 844 tasks, aiming to understand not only what AI is capable of executing but also which activities workers themselves would be willing to transfer to machines.
In 46.1% of tasks, workers gave a positive rating to the possibility of automation, especially when it could free up time for activities considered more relevant. This point is fundamental to the study: there is a difference between questioning AI's capability and knowing what people want to delegate to it, and these answers do not always coincide.
In many occupations, the preferred format for workers is collaboration, where humans and AI share responsibilities, rather than handing all the work over to the machine. The research also signals a change in the relative importance of certain skills. Activities related to information processing, such as knowledge updating and data analysis, may lose proportional weight, while tasks related to coordination, interaction, and decision-making tend to require greater human involvement.
Unofficial use of AI in companies
A survey conducted by Deloitte UK, which collected data from 25,000 workers, exposes another aspect of this transformation: the implementation of AI tools within organizations does not always occur in a formalized manner. According to this survey, 63% of employees use generative AI in their work, and almost a quarter report using such resources daily.
Among users, 31% report using AI without the employer's knowledge, characterizing what is called 'shadow AI'—a situation where AI tools become part of the professional routine without being foreseen or authorized by company guidelines. The survey also points out that almost half of the workers, or 49%, have not received adequate training to use AI safely and efficiently, which could increase the risk of confidential information being accidentally sent to external services.
The data therefore suggests that merely allowing or prohibiting AI tools may be insufficient. For companies, the additional challenge lies in understanding where the technology is being applied and which tasks truly benefit from it.
The different studies help explain the widespread concern generated by AI in various parts of the globe. When technology is seen as a direct threat to work and family subsistence, its potential benefits may not be enough to dispel this apprehension.
Part of this scenario is also linked to the way the AI industry itself has publicized its innovations in recent years. In an attempt to demonstrate the potential of products to investors, executives such as Sam Altman of OpenAI and Dario Amodei of Anthropic addressed the possibility of AI replacing entire professions, representing a new industrial revolution. This discourse reinforced the economic potential of the technology but simultaneously intensified concerns about the future of work.
Currently, studies conducted in different countries confirm that apprehension is already part of public perception of AI, while labor market analyses begin to outline changes, especially among younger workers, and in the activities that companies and professionals are willing to delegate to machines.