Societal Pushback on AI-Driven Disruption

Abstract Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as one of the most transformative technologies of the twenty-first century, reshaping industries from healthcare and finance to education and governance. Yet its rapid deployment has provoked significant societal pushback, characterized by public fear, deep mistrust, and resistance rooted in concerns about privacy, job displacement, algorithmic bias, and the erosion of human agency. This paper investigates the nature and determinants of societal resistance to AI-driven disruption, focusing specifically on non-expert populations across diverse demographic groups in India. Using a quantitative, descriptive research design, primary data were collected from 170 respondents through a structured online questionnaire distributed via Google Forms. The survey captured attitudes toward AI adoption, specific concerns about privacy and job automation, sector-specific trust levels, media influence on perceptions, and demand for regulatory oversight. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics including frequency distribution, percentage analysis, mean, and mode, with cross-tabulation employed for demographic comparisons. Findings reveal that privacy risks (64.7%) and job loss anxiety (45.9%) are the dominant concerns, with younger respondents (aged 11–20) exhibiting the highest career anxiety (mean = 3.76/5.0). A near-universal demand for human oversight in high-stakes AI decisions was recorded (mode = 5.0/5.0). Media influence on AI distrust was moderate but significant (mean = 3.38/5.0), while institutional trust remains fragile and conditional. The paper concludes with actionable policy, industry, and education recommendations for building inclusive, trustworthy AI ecosystems.