AI jobs charge ahead in the face of public skepticism
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New AI jobs postings continue to grow in the U.S. despite the fact that public trust in AI technology and the companies behind it is sinking.
Why it matters: The trend highlights the disconnected feelings between the public and the tech industry when it comes to the advancement of AI.
State of play: There were 10,404 new AI job postings in January, a 42% rise from Dec. 2022, according to the University of Maryland and LinkUp's AI job tracker.
- By comparison, there were more than 90,000 total new IT job postings in January — a 31% drop from from Dec. 2022, per the Wall Street Journal.
- Data from Indeed.com shows a similar trend, with AI job listings increasing while listings for data science and software engineering jobs are decreasing, per the Journal.
The big picture: The upswing in AI jobs posts comes despite layoffs in the tech industry and worry from workers that AI could threaten their jobs.
- Consumer skepticism of AI remains strong despite efforts by AI companies to win over the public.
- In the U.S., trust in AI companies has dropped to 35% from 50% five years ago, according to data from Edelman shared first with Axios.
- What's more, the low levels of trust are seen across the political spectrum.
Our thought bubble, from Axios' Ryan Heath: Companies want the productivity benefits and creative potential of AI.
- At the same time, most of us wonder if AI will come for our own job — driving a deep unease that these powerful technologies are arriving without any guarantees they will be managed for the public benefit.
