Blog · 2026-10-25
AI Just Made Americans' Top 10 Fears: CBT Tools for Worry About Jobs and the Future
For the first time, fears about artificial intelligence made the top 10 in Chapman University's yearly survey of what Americans are afraid of. If you've been lying awake wondering what AI means for your job, your family or the country, you're far from alone. Worry like this is normal, and there are practical tools that can help you carry it without letting it run your life.
What the survey found
Owen Gregorian shared a story on X this week about Chapman University's 2026 Survey of American Fears. This is the 12th year Chapman has asked Americans what they fear. This year, for the first time, the researchers added questions about AI.
Two of those new questions landed in the top 10. Fear of AI harming the political process ranked No. 3, with 51.9 percent of adults saying they were afraid or very afraid. Fear of AI hurting the economy ranked No. 7, at 49.7 percent. Corrupt government officials stayed at No. 1 (61.1 percent), followed by the U.S. getting involved in another world war (58 percent).
Work worries showed up further down the list. Fear of AI replacing people in the workforce came in at No. 23, at 42 percent. Fear of not having enough money for the future ranked No. 13, at 45.9 percent.
Survey founder Christopher Bader put it this way: "Americans are concerned not just about what AI might mean for their jobs, but about its potential impact on our political system and the economy."
One finding stood out to me as a counselor. People who use AI at least weekly were less likely to fear it would harm the political process (46 percent) than people who never use it (55 percent). The researchers are careful to say this shows a link, not proof that using AI makes people less afraid. Still, it fits something I see in my office every week: the things we don't understand often feel the scariest.
Why this kind of worry sticks
AI fears are hard to shake because they're about the future, and the future is uncertain by nature. Nobody can tell you exactly what your industry will look like in five years.
Researchers who study anxiety have found that a big driver of chronic worry is something called intolerance of uncertainty. That means having a hard time living with not knowing. In a 1998 study, Michel Dugas and his colleagues found that intolerance of uncertainty was central in telling apart people with generalized anxiety from people without it. When we can't stand not knowing, our minds try to "solve" the future by running through every possible bad outcome. It feels productive, but it usually just leaves us tired.
I wrote more about this in an earlier post, When Not Knowing Is the Hardest Part. The short version is that your brain isn't broken when it worries. It's trying to protect you. It just needs better tools.
Practical CBT tools for worry about AI and the future
In my practice in Franklin, I use mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to help people with anxiety, anger and relationship stress. Here are a few tools you can start using today.
1. Give worry an appointment. This sounds odd, but it works. Pick a 20- to 30-minute "worry time" at the same time and place each day. When a worry about AI or your job pops up at other times, write it down and tell yourself, "I'll think about this at 5:00." Research going back to Thomas Borkovec's work in 1983 supports this approach. In a 2013 study by Sarah Kate McGowan and Evelyn Behar, people with high worry who used a daily 30-minute worry period for two weeks had larger drops in worry, anxiety and sleep trouble than a comparison group.
2. Separate "what if" from "what is." Ask yourself: Is this worry about something happening right now, or something that might happen someday? Then sort it into two piles. Problems you can act on go in one pile. Things you can't control go in the other.
3. Take one small step on what you can control. If you're worried about AI changing your job, pick one action this week. You could take a short online class, ask your manager how your team plans to use new tools, or update your resume. Action shrinks worry in a way that thinking alone never does.
4. Walk the worry forward, then check the odds. This is called decatastrophizing. Ask: What's the worst that could happen? What's the most likely thing to happen? If the worst did happen, how would I cope? Most of us have handled hard changes before, and we tend to forget that when we're anxious.
It also helps to track your worries over time. In a 2020 study, Lucas LaFreniere and Michelle Newman asked 29 people with generalized anxiety to write down their worries and later check what actually happened. About 91 percent of their worried predictions did not come true. The more people saw that their worries were wrong, the more their anxiety improved.
5. Get curious instead of avoiding it. Remember that people who used AI more often reported less fear. You don't have to become an expert. But spending a few minutes learning how a tool works can turn a vague monster into something you can understand and plan around.
6. Notice the thought, then come back to now. Mindfulness teaches us to step back from our thoughts. Instead of "My job is going to disappear," try "I'm having the thought that my job might disappear." Then take three slow breaths and notice what's around you right now. The future will still be there, but you'll meet it with a calmer mind.
7. Limit the doom scroll. Headlines and social feeds about AI can keep your mind on high alert. Set a time limit for news, and follow it with something that grounds you, like a walk, a conversation or time with your family.
How counseling can help
Some worry is healthy. It reminds us to prepare. But if worry about work, money or the future is costing you sleep, making you short-tempered with people you love, or keeping you from enjoying today, counseling can help. Together we can sort out what's in your control, build skills to calm your mind and make a plan you feel good about.
I work with adults in Franklin and Nashville, and by telehealth across Tennessee.
Frequently asked questions
Is it normal to be anxious about AI?
Yes. Chapman's survey found that about half of American adults are afraid of AI harming the political process or hurting the economy. You're in good company.
Will AI take my job?
No one can say for sure, and I'm not a career forecaster. What I can help with is the worry itself, so you can think clearly and take useful steps instead of feeling frozen.
What is "worry time," and does it really work?
Worry time is a set period each day when you let yourself worry on purpose. Studies have found it can reduce worry and anxiety, and it often helps with sleep, too.
This post is for general information only and is not therapy or medical advice. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 or call 911.
Sources
- Owen Gregorian, post sharing IFLScience's story on the Chapman fear survey (X, Oct 24, 2026)
- Chapman University Newsroom, "AI Enters Americans' Top 10 Fears in Chapman's 2026 Survey" (Oct 20, 2026)
- Chapman University, "The Chapman University Survey of American Fears, Wave 12: The Complete List of Fears 2026" (PDF)
- Dugas MJ, Gagnon F, Ladouceur R, Freeston MH, "Generalized anxiety disorder: a preliminary test of a conceptual model", Behaviour Research and Therapy, 1998
- Borkovec TD, Wilkinson L, Folensbee R, Lerman C, "Stimulus control applications to the treatment of worry", Behaviour Research and Therapy, 1983
- McGowan SK, Behar E, "A preliminary investigation of stimulus control training for worry: effects on anxiety and insomnia", Behavior Modification, 2013
- LaFreniere LS, Newman MG, "Exposing Worry's Deceit: Percentage of Untrue Worries in Generalized Anxiety Disorder Treatment", Behavior Therapy, 2020
Related at Navigate Life Counseling: anxiety counseling in Franklin, TN.