Brits worry AI will destroy their jobs while the rich cash in
Divide between rich and poor identified in feelings about AI
As the cost-of-living crisis tightens its grip on ordinary households, a new report from the Seismic Foundation has revealed a chilling truth—Artificial Intelligence is not just the next big thing, it’s the next big threat, and it’s those on low incomes who stand to lose the most.
Ordinary folks feeling downbeat once again
While tech barons and corporate elites trumpet AI as a leap into the future, millions of hard-up folks are terrified of what’s coming. The study shows that people on lower incomes are far more worried about the rise of AI than their well-off counterparts, and with good reason.
For those already struggling to pay bills, AI is seen as a looming disaster, one that could destroy jobs, deepen inequality and rob the next generation of a secure future.
These concerns aren’t idle paranoia. Many in Britain’s poorest communities believe AI will make mental health worse, marginalise minorities even further and widen the yawning gap between rich and poor.
It’s not just about losing jobs—it’s about losing control over a world already stacked against them. Trust in big business is near rock bottom, and this latest wave of automation feels like yet another stitch-up designed to keep wealth and power in the hands of the few.
The well-off feeling upbeat once again
By contrast, the wealthy—those who’ve benefited from every boom while the rest of the country tightened its belt—appear remarkably upbeat. Their worries are less about survival and more about convenience: data privacy, surveillance, election meddling.
Concerns for their children? Hardly. Many in high-income groups expect AI to improve life for their families, further entrenching their advantage while the rest fall even further behind.
This isn’t speculation—it’s happening now. The report warns that AI is already seen as a force that will further tilt society in favour of the rich. Nearly half of those surveyed believe the benefits of AI will go almost exclusively to the elite, leaving everyone else to deal with the fallout.
And the resentment is palpable: 67% of people believe the wealthy don’t pay their fair share of tax and 65% blame the rich for much of society’s current dysfunction.
Are you a Stressed Striver?
Among the groups identified in the international report are what researchers call the Stressed Strivers. These are younger, working-class people, often with children and lower levels of education, who are already on the brink.
They’re not technophobes—many use AI in daily life—but they are deeply concerned about how it will hit their livelihoods, increase economic turmoil and leave families like theirs even more vulnerable.
Another group, the so-called Globalist Guardians are affluent and socially progressive, and while they do worry about AI, their concerns are lofty and global.
Meanwhile, Tech-Positive Urbanites—educated, urban professionals—are embracing AI in their personal lives but are privately anxious about what it means for their careers.
Then there are the Diverse Dreamers, more likely to be from ethnic minority communities, whose worries echo the wider public’s, especially around fairness, jobs, and their children’s future.
Lastly, the Anxious Alarmists are older and hyper-aware of society’s mounting crises. Unsurprisingly, they don’t trust AI either.
New boss, same as the old boss
The message is stark: AI isn’t levelling the playing field—it’s digging the trench deeper. While tech firms and elite investors promise a smarter, more efficient world, millions are staring down a future of increased hardship and social division.
Unless something changes fast, this so-called “intelligent” technology could end up further enforcing the most unintelligent feature of our society: grotesque inequality.
And remember this isn’t about being for or against AI: don’t let the elites frame criticism as you being a luddite or wanting to turn back the clock. This is about ensuring AI doesn’t keep the boot on our necks for another 200 years and that we get Our Fair Future.