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AI job fears: Workers optimistic about themselves, worried for new hires
🇰🇷 South Korea /Economy & Trade

AI job fears: Workers optimistic about themselves, worried for new hires

From Dong-A Ilbo · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • A survey of AI chatbot users found many believe AI will soon handle most of their work but do not expect to lose their own jobs.
  • These users, however, anticipate a much higher risk of job loss for their junior colleagues, reflecting a psychological bias known as optimism bias.
  • While individual users feel secure, broader economic indicators show AI is increasingly cited as a reason for U.S. corporate layoffs, particularly impacting entry-level positions.

Many people believe artificial intelligence will soon take over most of their job duties, yet they remain personally optimistic about their own employment security. A survey of users of the AI chatbot Claude, conducted by its developer Anthropic, revealed that while a third of respondents think AI could perform most or all of their work within a year, only about 10% felt they were at high risk of losing their jobs.

I am okay, but I worry about new hires.

— Anonymous userDescribing the perceived difference in job security between themselves and junior colleagues in relation to AI.

This perception starkly contrasts with how these same users viewed the job prospects of their colleagues. More than a third of respondents predicted that junior employees would face a more than 60% chance of job loss within the year. This pattern aligns with the psychological concept of "optimism bias," where individuals tend to believe negative events are less likely to happen to them than to others.

This "optimism bias" is not unfounded, as recent data suggests AI has not yet been a primary cause for individual layoffs. A Gallup poll found that only 1% of those who experienced job loss cited AI or automation as the reason. However, macro-level trends present a different picture. In the first half of the year, AI was cited as the reason for approximately 100,000 U.S. corporate layoffs, becoming the top reason for workforce reductions for four consecutive months in June.

Bad things happen to others rather than to me.

— Psychology conceptExplaining the psychological phenomenon of optimism bias.

The survey's findings, particularly the concern for junior colleagues, are partially supported by labor market data showing a significant decrease in entry-level hiring. An internal Anthropic report also noted a reduction in junior recruitment following AI implementation. It is important to note that the survey respondents were already active AI users, with about 30% working in computer and math fields and 23% in management roles, suggesting they may be more integrated with or less threatened by AI than the general workforce.

Major MOU Violations by the US: Violating Iranian adjustments in the Strait, persistent threats of further strikes, reinstating oil sanctions, attacks on southern Iran, continued Zionist aggression. The era of bullying and extortion is over. It leads nowhere. We don't fold.

— Mohammad Bagher GhalibafIranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf accusing the United States of violating a memorandum of understanding following US strikes on southern Iran and escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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