Fear of artificial intelligence (AI) goes far deeper for the public than impact on future employment.
More than half of American adults believe AI will significantly damage key human capacities over the next decade, particularly around emotional intelligence and empathy, according to a new survey by Elon University’s Imagining the Digital Future Center.
The survey examined public opinion on AI’s expected impact across 12 fundamental human traits and found Americans anticipate negative effects in every category studied. The most pronounced concerns center on social and emotional intelligence, where respondents predicted negative impacts by a six-to-one margin (55% to 9%).
Similar pessimism emerged regarding empathy and moral judgment, with 49% expecting negative impacts compared to just 8% anticipating positive effects. Americans also worry AI will diminish their capacity for deep thinking about complex subjects (53% negative vs. 14% positive) and reduce their sense of individual agency (49% negative vs. 11% positive).
The survey revealed additional concerns about AI’s impact on confidence in personal abilities (43% negative, 17% positive) and individual identity and life purpose (42% negative, 9% positive). The study surveyed 1,005 U.S. adults through SSRS’s Opinion Panel between July 17-20, with a margin of error of ±3.5 percentage points.
Looking toward 2035, Americans expect mixed results for humanity overall, with 41% predicting AI’s impact on “the essence of being human” will bring both positive and negative changes in equal measure. However, pessimists outnumber optimists significantly: 25% expect mostly negative changes while only 9% anticipate mostly positive outcomes.
“These findings raise stark questions about the impact of AI on the essence of being human,” said Lee Rainie, director of Elon University’s ITDF initiative. He noted the results challenge assumptions that human “soft skills” would remain protected as AI advances, with the population now fearing AI “could diminish many of the very qualities that make us uniquely human.”
When comparing the two groups, the general public holds significantly more pessimistic views than experts regarding AI’s effects on human curiosity and learning abilities, innovative and creative thinking, decision-making and problem-solving skills, and metacognitive abilities. Additionally, members of the public are more frequently uncertain about AI’s future impact, with higher rates of “don’t know” responses compared to experts.
