I surveyed workers to see if AI had caused job losses and was surprised by the findings

Do artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT eliminate jobs, create new ones, or both? There’s a lot of speculation regarding this question, but little solid data in the U.S. to answer it.

I’m a sociologist who researches AI, among other topics. Seeking answers to that question and others, I commissioned an online survey by YouGov, a market research agency, to ask 1,250 U.S. workers between July 30 and Aug. 4, 2026, about their experiences with AI and their attitudes toward the technology.