When people perceive artificial intelligence as replacing human labor, trust in democracy and political participation decline.

Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing our economies and workplaces. A new study shows that the majority of people believe that artificial intelligence is displacing more human labor than it is creating new opportunities. The authors from LMU Munich and the University of Vienna demonstrated a causal link: the stronger this perception, the more dissatisfied people are with democracy – and the less they participate in political debates about future technological developments. These effects occur even though artificial intelligence has had only a limited impact on the jobs market so far. The study was recently published in the renowned journal PNAS.

How does the population perceive artificial intelligence?
The researchers first analyzed survey data from 38 European countries with over 37,000 respondents. The results were clear: In most countries, the view prevails that artificial intelligence destroys more jobs than it creates. Study author Dr. Armin Granulo from LMU Munich School of Management explains: “The actual impact of artificial intelligence on the labor market is still limited. Nevertheless, many people primarily perceive artificial intelligence as replacing human labor. This perception is remarkably stable and particularly widespread in economically developed countries.”

What does this mean for democracy?
In the current study, the team from Munich and Vienna shows that this perceived displacement is not without political consequences. People who perceive artificial intelligence as destroying jobs are significantly more dissatisfied with the functioning of democracy. They are also less politically engaged – for example, in discussions, civic participation, and the co-design of technology policy. “When people feel that artificial intelligence replaces human labor, they express doubts about the political system – they are less satisfied with democracy and its institutions,” summarizes study author Christoph Fuchs from the Faculty of Business, Economics and Statistics at the University of Vienna.


Causal relationship: experiments in the UK and the US
To test whether these correlations are indeed causal, the researchers conducted two representative experiments in the UK and the US. Participants were presented with different future scenarios of artificial intelligence – one framing AI as a replacement for human labor and the other depicting it as a creator of new jobs. The results show that when artificial intelligence was framed as replacing human labor, people expressed significantly lower trust in democratic institutions and a reduced willingness to engage politically with artificial intelligence.

Why this is important
The study makes it clear that the social consequences of artificial intelligence do not only begin when jobs actually disappear. According to the study authors, expectations, fears, and the way in which we talk about artificial intelligence as a society are enough to change democratic attitudes. If public debates focus heavily on job losses, this can have unintended side effects for democracy.

At the same time, the authors emphasize, the findings also point to opportunities. As Armin Granulo explains: “Our experiments suggest that people’s beliefs about the effects of artificial intelligence on the labor market could be changed – for example, through targeted communication that its future is not predetermined, but can be shaped through democratic choices.”