Will AI take my job? Less than 1 in 4 students think not

According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2023, around 85% of companies plan to introduce artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in the coming years. 

Almost a quarter of employers (23%) claim the implementation of AI will directly impact jobs, leading to structural changes in the labour market and an estimated global net decrease of 14 million jobs – roughly 2% of the global job market. 

A survey by Pew Research indicated that just 15% of U.S. adults were more excited than concerned when it comes to AI, compared to 38% for the reverse. But, how worried are the next generation of UK adults about AI taking over jobs? 

With this in mind, we surveyed 2,000 UK students to assess whether they believed AI replacing jobs was a genuine risk and the reasons behind these concerns.

AI stealing jobs: Do you believe job prospects are at risk from AI? 

Of the 2,000 students surveyed, less than one in four (23.2%) believe AI taking over jobs is a risk. 

A breakdown of whether people feel jobs are at risk from AI

On the other hand, more than three-quarters (76.8%) of UK students are not worried about future AI job replacement in the UK. 

AI stealing jobs: What is your top reason for this belief? 

The most common reason why people fear AI job replacement is the elimination of manual jobs. Around a fifth (22.4%) of those who believe AI is taking over jobs consider this to be the biggest factor, with technology replacing more mundane, repetitive tasks (such as data entry and assembly-line work), which don’t require complex decision-making. 

A breakdown of why people feel jobs are at risk from AI

This is followed by less than one in five (17.2%) who believe AI will make the workplace more efficient. 

A breakdown by age

More than three-quarters (77.8%) of those aged 26-40 disagree that their future job prospects are at risk from AI, making them the least worried age bracket regarding AI job replacement. This was followed closely by the 12-17 age group – a potential sign that younger generations are more willing to embrace new technologies in the workplace. 

A breakdown of students from different age groups and whether they feel jobs are at risk from AI 

Conversely, those aged 41-60 were the most worried age group surrounding AI taking jobs in the future, with just over a quarter (27.9%) expressing a concern. 

A breakdown by region 

According to our survey, students from the East of England are least worried about AI taking over jobs in the future, with around nine in 10 admitting AI job replacement was not a concern to them. This was followed by students of Northern Ireland, with almost eight in 10 expressing no imposed risk from AI to their future job prospects. 

A breakdown of students from different UK regions and whether they feel jobs are at risk from AI 

On the other hand, students from Wales were the most concerned about potential AI job risks, with almost a third (31.4%) expressing concerns for their future employment opportunities due to the introduction of AI. Those from the North East were also more worried than most regions about possible job losses due to AI (28.9%). 

A breakdown by industry

The results of our AI survey suggest that those intending to work in primary industries are least worried about potential job loss due to AI. 100% of those interested in careers linked to agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, energy, and water supply claim to not be concerned about the rise of AI in the workplace and the potential impact it could have on their future employment prospects.    

A breakdown of whether people feel jobs are at risk from AI across different industries

That said, those seeking work in the public administration, defence, and social security sectors were the most concerned with future AI job replacements. More than one in three (34.1%) from this industry fear future unemployment due to AI, followed closely by those looking to work in other services (31.4%) and education (29.5%). 

Is AI something students should be worried about? 

Talveer Sandhu, on behalf of The Knowledge Academy, provides comment on the survey findings, and whether AI is something students should be concerned about:

“AI is being leveraged by modern companies today as a great addition to any business strategy – it’s accessible and doesn’t have to be overly complex. That being said, any business with a good plan in place will not be using AI to replace jobs, but rather utilising it as a sidekick to assist in data-driven tasks, administrative tasks, and cutting down on costs.”

“With the use of AI, there still needs to be oversight from human beings, and young people today are more likely to understand and embrace this new technology than distrust it. If you’re looking for a career in anything from marketing to healthcare, manufacturing to education, learning about AI and having an understanding of its potential is crucial, as this will set you up for something you’re likely to adopt in your future workflow.”

Methodology

1. The Knowledge Academy conducted a UK-based survey of 2,000 student respondents across 25 cities 

2. To do this, questions were asked to students, such as whether they believed their job prospects were at risk from AI. For those who answered ‘yes’, they were asked to select their top reason for this belief from a prescribed list of reasons. 

3. An aggregation of the survey results was then compiled to calculate the percentage of respondents’ answers to each question

4. A series of crosstabulations were then created, broken down by age, region, gender, level of education, and what industry they are looking to gain a career in after education. 

5. The survey was conducted in January 2024 and is accurate as of then.