Beyond the Hype: Understanding Worker Concerns Over AI-Driven Displacement

• In Event: AI and the Public Workforce – Skills, Concerns, and Services

Abstract

Existing scholarship, media coverage, and public perception commonly suggest that the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) tools is likely to displace workers. Recent advancements in generative AI have further intensified these concerns. While AI adoption in the workplace continues to gain momentum, workers’ perceptions of being replaced by such tools vary significantly. This study presents findings from a nationwide survey of U.S. workers conducted in August 2024. The results show that, as of summer 2024, more than 37% of employers had adopted generative AI tools for business operations. While over 61% of respondents reported not being concerned, nearly 39% expressed worry about losing their jobs to AI technology.

This research investigates who is most concerned and explores the reasons behind their anxiety about displacement. First, we analyze responses based on respondents’ backgrounds, including factors such as education and training, industry sector, level of seniority, and other demographic variables. Next, we conduct an exploratory factor analysis to identify the most salient factors contributing to workers’ concerns about AI. The findings are interpreted through the lenses of the Technology Acceptance Model, Innovation Diffusion Theory, Risk Perception Theory, and Uncertainty Theory, among others, to construct latent variables that explain workers’ attitudes.

This study provides a foundation for future research exploring whether—and to what extent—AI adoption in the workplace will actually lead to job displacement among American workers.

Authors:

Shahidur Rashid Talukdar, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Fellow, Scholarly Integrity and Research Compliance, Virginia Tech
Sue Ge, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Economics, College of Science, Virginia Tech
Jian Ni, Ph.D. Professor, Department of Marketing, Pamplin College of Business, Virginia Tech
Meng Zhu, Ph.D. Professor, Department of Marketing, Pamplin College of Business, Virginia Tech

Financial Contribution:

This project has received partial financial support from the following:

Center for Future Work Places and Practices, Virginia Tech
4-VA Collaborative Research Grant (2024)

Author

• Shahidur Rashid Talukdar, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University
  Presenting Author