Do you know that the United States is the most AI-anxious country in the world?

As global workforce faces uncertainty

The United States has emerged as the world’s most AI-anxious nation. Analysing global search volumes and sentiment data, a new study by email verification platform Zerobounce reports that Americans are more concerned than any other population about artificial intelligence (AI) replacing human jobs, despite a growing adoption of AI technologies across sectors.

United States

With an AI Anxiety Score of 100—the highest in the study—the US recorded 440,000 searches related to “AI job loss,” far surpassing other nations. This concern exists even though the country’s positive sentiment toward AI is moderate, at 54.5 per cent. The research ranked the intensity of concern and paired it with sentiment data to identify where fears about automation and job security are most acute.

Mexico

Mexico follows in second place, but its position reveals a puzzling contradiction. Despite 75 per cent of Mexicans expressing positive views toward AI, the country had over 120,000 related search queries. Its high anxiety score of 84.4 suggests favourable attitudes toward technology do not always alleviate fears of economic disruption. The report highlights potential vulnerabilities in Mexico’s workforce and economy that could exacerbate these fears.

UK

The United Kingdom is ranked third, with an AI Anxiety Score of 68.3. With 120,000 searches logged, British concern about AI-related job losses aligns closely with Mexico, even though the UK has a more mature tech ecosystem. Positive sentiment among the British population remains low at 55 per cent, highlighting a deep-seated uncertainty across social and economic lines.

Canada

Canada, ranking fourth, presents a more balanced picture. With 77,000 searches and a positive sentiment of 64.3 per cent, its anxiety score of 53.6 indicates moderate concern. Although Canadians are wary, the country’s stronger optimism about AI appears to temper overall anxiety. Nonetheless, Canada’s score is still significant alongside its relatively smaller population.

UAE

In fifth place is the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where only 13,000 searches were recorded. However, adjusted for population and sentiment, the country earns an anxiety score of 49.4. Positive sentiment in the UAE stands at 56 per cent. Despite a modest search volume, the country’s intensity rank is 13, showing that AI job loss remains a notable issue for a population segment.

South Korea

South Korea comes in sixth with an anxiety score of 35.9. With 23,000 searches and a 58 per cent positivity rate, the East Asian tech leader balances high-speed innovation with growing public concern. Interestingly, despite having double the UAE’s search volume, South Korea’s anxiety is markedly lower, possibly reflecting its cultural adaptation to automation.

Germany

Germany is ranked seventh with a score of 30.8. It has the highest positive AI sentiment among the top seven at 60.4 per cent. German searches for AI job losses reached just over 35,000, reflecting more moderate concern. As Europe’s economic engine, Germany appears to approach AI disruption with cautious optimism.

Netherlands

The Netherlands places eighth with a score of 22. Dutch search volumes were low at 18,000, and the country’s AI sentiment is 59%. This indicates a moderately optimistic yet measured view of AI’s impact, with concern levels far below those of larger nations like the UK or the US.

France

France ranks ninth, achieving an AI Anxiety Score of 20.6. Despite being a much larger economy, the nation recorded just over 15,000 related searches, similar to the Netherlands. Positive sentiment in France is at 60 per cent. Its anxiety score is less than one-third of the UK’s, suggesting French citizens are either less aware of or less preoccupied with the threats posed by AI to employment.

Spain

Spain closes out the top ten with a score of 17. With 15,000 AI job loss searches and a sentiment score of 58 per cent, Spain’s concerns appear muted compared to its Western counterparts. Its intensity rank—25—is among the lowest in the top ten, indicating AI job loss is a relatively minor concern in the national discourse.

Across the board, North American countries show significantly higher anxiety scores than European nations. While technology adoption is high in both regions, the difference may be due to cultural factors, economic structures, or the volatility of labour markets. The findings suggest that how a society perceives technological change, especially its impact on job security, is influenced by more than just access to innovation.

As AI continues to evolve and integrate into daily workflows, the conversation around automation and employment is becoming more urgent.

The data from ZeroBounce highlights how different nations are grappling with the same issue in remarkably different ways. From the anxious American workforce to the more measured European response, the global AI landscape is marked not only by innovation but also by profound and growing uncertainty.

Image: Americans are more concerned about AI replacing human jobs than anyone else. Credit: Anna Shvets