What Shapes Attitudes Toward Artificial Intelligence:Insights from the National Technology Readiness Survey

Recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have intensified the debate on their impact on job markets. Studies have increasingly focused on understanding the mechanisms by which certain jobs may be at higher risk of displacement by AI. These studies categorize tasks and skills to assess which jobs are more likely to be complemented or substituted by AI. We investigate how people’s beliefs and expectations about AI compare with theoretical predictions regarding the future impact of automation on their respective jobs, focusing on attitudes toward AI technologies. Our analysis uses data from surveys collected before and after the rise of generative AI (in 2018 and 2024). Specifically, we examine whether people are generally hopeful or fearful of these technologies, and whether they believe AI will exacerbate unemployment or create new job opportunities. We assess how workers’ beliefs about AI are associated with two categories of factors: personal characteristics and job characteristics. Finally, we examine how these influencing factors changed after the introduction of generative AI.