US workers' views on AI differ from those at an AI company

A stark contrast has emerged between US workers' views on artificial intelligence (AI) and those of employees at an AI company itself. According to research published by Anthropic, a significant majority of its staff believe that AI will make their jobs obsolete.

The study compared internal polls with surveys of US adults, revealing a substantial "AI expectations gap". While only about 5% of the general public surveyed believed that AI would handle at least 80% of their job by 2030, an overwhelming majority of Anthropic employees shared this view. In fact, nearly all of them, approximately 95%, expected AI to take over most of their work.

Anthropic workers are also more optimistic about AI's capabilities and its impact on the economy. They believe that AI has already saved a significant amount of time and will continue to drive rapid growth in the years to come. This optimism is reflected in their expectations for AI's role in building new models, with the median employee anticipating that AI will handle 95% of this work by 2030.

The company's chief economist, Peter McCrory, has emphasized the potential significance of these views, suggesting that they may serve as a leading indicator for the broader adoption and development of AI.

According to the survey results, a significant difference exists between how US adults and Anthropic staff perceive the current capabilities of AI. While there is general agreement on what AI can accomplish today, some discrepancies emerge when examining specific tasks.

These differences may be attributed to several factors, including budget constraints that limit access to advanced tools for many workers. In contrast, Anthropic employees often have greater resources at their disposal, giving them early access to cutting-edge models and capabilities not yet available to the general public.

Notably, the survey reveals distinct perspectives among different professions regarding AI's impact on their work. Workers in manual trades, production, and transportation tend to believe that AI will handle less of their tasks by 2030 compared to tech-savvy Anthropic employees and those in business and finance.

Anthropic staff members' predictions for the unemployment rate by 2030 are also strikingly different from those of US workers. While most Anthropic employees anticipate a significant increase, with an estimated 12% or higher jobless rate, the majority of US respondents expect a lower unemployment rate, hovering around or below 8%.

The survey of Anthropic employees reveals a stark contrast in job market expectations between industry insiders and the general public. While most people anticipate a relatively low unemployment rate, with some expecting it to hover around or below 8%, the majority of respondents from the company are more pessimistic.

Anthropic's CEO Dario Amodei has been vocal about his predictions for the impact of AI on the job market. In March 2025, he stated that he expected AI to write 90% of code within six months and essentially all of it within a year. This prediction was followed by more dire warnings in May, when Amodei told Axios that AI could wipe out half of entry-level white-collar jobs within five years.

Amodei's predictions have been met with significant attention in the industry, and he has expanded on his claims in an essay. He writes that AI will bring about an unprecedented short-term shock to labor markets, but also expects the economy to grow dramatically as a result. According to Amodei, AI is not a replacement for specific human jobs, but rather a general substitute for human labor.

The contrast between these predictions and those of the general public highlights the uncertainty surrounding the impact of AI on job markets. As the industry continues to evolve, it remains to be seen whether Amodei's predictions will come to pass, and what the long-term effects will be on employment rates.