Around 79% of American workers believe AI will threaten their salary and lead to pay cuts, new survey finds

• Around 79% of US workers are worried that adopting AI will result in pay cuts, a new survey found.
• Workers are concerned that AI-driven layoffs will happen in the next six months to two years.

American workers are concerned about the adoption of AI in the workplace, especially the prospect of wages declining across the country, a new survey found.

The survey, carried out via survey platform Pollfish and commissioned by employment screening service Checkr, polled 3,000 employed American workers between April 27 and 28, 2023. An equal number of Boomers, Gen Xers, Millennials, and Gen Z were surveyed as part of the report.

It found that 79% of all American workers were fearful or unsure about the possibility of AI driving pay cuts for their position with 82% of millennials feeling this way. Meanwhile, 76% of Gen Zers and a similar percentage of other generations echoed the feeling.

Additionally, 78% of all workers were unsure about whether AI could lead to wage declines across the country.

74% of all workers felt the incorporation of AI in the workplace may result in them losing their jobs with the same amount believing AI layoffs are going to happen in the next six months to two years.

Although there's fear that AI could kill their jobs, many workers are excited that it could take some workload off their shoulders.

Over half of all workers said they would take a pay cut if AI-enabled a four-day workweek. A further 86% said they'd take a pay cut to work less if AI could help them get all their work done.

Millennials, Gen Xers, and Boomers are willing to take a pay cut of 10% whilst Gen Zers said they'd give up 15% of their pay to work less.

Insider has contacted Checkr for comment but did not immediately hear back outside regular working hours.

One study of 5,000 customer support agents at Fortune 500 companies in the Philippines found that generative AI had a positive effect on worker productivity.

The lowest-skilled agents in the study who received AI assistance in responding to customer inquiries and other tasks saw a 35% increase in productivity.