TEXAS TECH DATA SHOWS AI ANXIETY IS RISING FASTER THAN PROVEN JOB LOSS

TEXAS TECH DATA SHOWS AI ANXIETY IS RISING FASTER THAN PROVEN JOB LOSS

A Texas Tech study found that 49.2 percent of people surveyed in 2025 feared artificial intelligence could take their jobs, up from 16.6 percent in 2016. Researchers Austin Lee and Milad Jalalian Ebrahimi found no significant relationship between that fear and unemployment data. They also found higher concern among women and ethnic minorities, while education based differences have narrowed as both office and trade workers encounter AI. The responsible local response is neither dismissal nor panic. Lubbock employers, schools and workforce programs should clearly identify which tasks are changing, teach workers how to use new tools and publish measurable evidence when jobs are added, altered or eliminated. Fear is real data about public confidence, but it is not proof of current displacement. Honest preparation serves workers better than vague promises from either side of the debate.

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