AI worry in 2026: what the YouGov, Pew and Gallup polls say

The three polls at a glance

YouGov’s Daily Questions survey asked 18,238 US adults on September 11-14, 2026 about AI causing the end of the human race: 50% were very or somewhat concerned.1

Pew Research Center’s American Trends Panel (Wave 195) asked 3,488 US adults on June 22-28, 2026 how AI in daily life makes them feel: 52% said more concerned than excited.45

The Bentley University-Gallup Business in Society Study asked 3,270 US adults on May 4-11, 2026 about AI’s effect on total US jobs over 10 years: 79% expected fewer jobs.6

YouGov: half concerned about AI ending humanity

The question, word for word: “How concerned, if at all, are you about the possibility that AI will cause the end of the human race on Earth?” In September 2026, 23% were very concerned, 27% somewhat concerned, 21% not very concerned, 17% not at all concerned and 11% not sure.12 YouGov reports this as 50% concerned and 39% not concerned. The survey was run online and weighted by gender, age, race, education, region and political party; YouGov puts the margin of error for the full sample at about 0.9 points.1

In the same September survey, YouGov asked about AI leading to mass unemployment: 72% were very or somewhat concerned about that, compared with 50% for human extinction.1

The same question has been asked before. On April 3, 2023 (20,810 adults), 19% were very and 27% somewhat concerned.3 On November 20, 2023 (1,989 adults), 18% were very and 25% somewhat concerned; YouGov’s article rounds that to 42% combined.21 In a separate, smaller YouGov AI survey of 1,095 US adult citizens on July 6-9, 2026, 19% were very and 28% somewhat concerned.7 Small moves of a few points between waves can be within the margin of error; the clearest change is in the “very concerned” share.

YouGov’s headline is about ideology. Liberals are now 61% concerned, moderates 49% and conservatives 44%. In November 2023 the three groups were close together: liberals 42%, moderates 43%, conservatives 45%. The rise since 2023 comes mostly from liberals.1

Views on AI’s pace matter too. Among the 67% who say AI is advancing too quickly, 62% are concerned; among the 21% who say it is moving at about the right pace, 32% are.1 By college major (panelists who attended college), concern runs from 63% for fine arts to 46% for computer science and 44% for math.1 YouGov’s article doesn’t report age or gender breakdowns for this question.

Pew: more concerned than excited, and young adults catching up

The question, from Pew’s topline: “Overall, would you say the increased use of artificial intelligence (AI) in daily life makes you feel…” with the options “More excited than concerned”, “More concerned than excited” and “Equally concerned and excited”.5 In June 2026, 52% said more concerned than excited, 37% equally concerned and excited, and 9% more excited than concerned.45

The “more concerned” share was 37% in November 2021, 38% in December 2022, 52% in mid-2023, 51% in 2024, 50% in 2025 and 52% in 2026.5 So the big jump came between late 2022 and mid-2023, and since then it has stayed around half. The 2021 wave explained AI first in longer wording, so it isn’t a perfect match for later years.5

Pew’s headline is about the youngest adults: “For the first time, a majority of adults under 30 (55%) now say they’re more concerned than excited about AI.”4 Among 18- to 29-year-olds, that share rose from 31% in 2021 to 55% in 2026, and the “more excited” share fell from 25% to 11%.4 Among those 65 and older it is 59%.4

In a separate short read on the same June survey, Pew reports that 56% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents are more concerned than excited, compared with 49% of Republicans and leaners.8

Pew also asked about jobs: 71% said AI will lead to fewer jobs in the US over the next 20 years, up from 64% in August 2024.45 By party, 75% of Democrats and 68% of Republicans expect fewer jobs; in 2024 the gap ran the other way (Republicans 70%, Democrats 58%).8

Gallup: most expect fewer jobs

Neither Gallup’s article nor its full report publishes the exact question, so this is a paraphrase: respondents were asked what effect AI will have on the total number of US jobs over the next 10 years.6 In May 2026, 79% said AI will reduce the number of US jobs, up from 73% in 2025 (fielded May 5-12, 2025).6

Among 18- to 29-year-olds, those expecting fewer jobs rose 13 points in a year, from 62% to 75%, and the share expecting AI to increase jobs fell from 14% to 5%. Among 45- to 59-year-olds, it rose from 75% to 84%.6

The same survey found broader doubts: 39% think AI does more harm than good (31% in 2025, 40% in 2023), and 27% trust businesses “a lot” or “some” to use AI responsibly, down from 31% in 2025.6

Why the numbers differ

The three headlines (50%, 52%, 79%) look like they describe the same mood, but they don’t measure the same thing. YouGov asks about a specific catastrophic outcome: AI ending the human race. Pew asks about a feeling toward AI in everyday life. Gallup asks for a prediction about jobs. Someone can expect fewer jobs without fearing extinction, and vice versa. YouGov’s own data shows it: 72% worry about mass unemployment, 50% about extinction.1

The answer scales differ too. YouGov’s 50% combines “very” and “somewhat” concerned. Pew’s 52% is the share choosing one of three options, where “equally concerned and excited” takes 37%. Gallup’s 79% is the share choosing “reduce” over other effects.

So do the samples and methods. YouGov surveyed 18,238 adults online and weighted the results.1 Pew surveyed 3,488 members of its American Trends Panel, mostly online with some phone interviews.5 Gallup surveyed 3,270 adults through the Gallup Panel, which it describes as probability-based.6 Gallup fielded in May, Pew in June and YouGov in September, and Gallup’s jobs question looks 10 years ahead while Pew’s looks 20.

So the numbers shouldn’t be added together, averaged, or read as “most Americans think AI will end humanity”. The fair summary is narrower: on each pollster’s own repeated question, worry is higher than it was a few years ago.

Newer polls (September and October 2026)

As of October 16, 2026, none of the three pollsters has published a newer wave of its headline question. Two newer polls from the same pollsters point the same way.

In an Economist/YouGov poll on October 2-5, 2026, 71% of registered voters said AI is advancing too quickly, 21% about the right pace and 1% too slowly, and 62% said government regulation of AI should be increased. The sample was 1,381 registered voters out of 1,513 US adult citizens, with a margin of error of about 3.4 points.9 It is a different question and sample from the extinction poll, so it isn’t part of that trend.

In a Gallup survey on August 3-24, 2026 (published September 15), 27% of US workers worried that technology could soon make their jobs obsolete, up 7 points from last year and about double the 13% of 2017. The sample was 1,200 adults, 507 of them employed.10 It asks workers about their own jobs, not about total US jobs, so it doesn’t extend the 79% trend.