Several AI applications can be seen on a smartphone screen, including ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, Microsoft Copilot, Meta AI, Grok and DeepSeek.
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Corporate leaders and investors are brimming with optimism about the potential of artificial intelligence to boost worker productivity, profitability and shareholder returns.
The general public remains unconvinced.
That’s according to a report published Tuesday by nonprofit group Just Capital, examining how different groups are feeling about the potential risks and benefits of AI adoption. Between Sept. 27 and Nov. 14, Just Capital collected data from institutional investors and analysts, corporate executives and U.S. adults.
Roughly 93% of corporate leaders and 80% of investors said they believe AI will have a net positive impact on society within the next five years, according to the report. Only 58% of respondents from the public said they share that sentiment.
The survey lands three years after OpenAI kickstarted the generative AI rush with the launch of ChatGPT, sparking a flood of investments into AI infrastructure, startups and products. With some analysts forecasting that AI spending will reach into the trillions of dollars by the end of the decade, the boom is boosting excitement about economic advancement and the future of technology while simultaneously raising concerns about privacy, safety and job security.
The disparate views are particularly noticeable when looking at AI in the workplace.
Just 47% of the general public said they think AI will have a positive net impact on worker productivity, compared to 94% of investors and 98% of corporate leaders.
Meanwhile, nearly half of respondents from the general public said they expect AI to replace workers and eliminate jobs, the report said. Only 20% of corporate leaders agreed.
Conversely, 64% of executives said AI will help workers be more productive in their current jobs, while only 23% of the public agreed.
“The survey findings reveal widespread public concern that companies’ growing adoption of AI will have swift, direct consequences for workers through job cuts,” Just Capital said.
All three categories of respondents are concerned about safety and security risks that could stem from AI, but corporate leaders and investors are especially worried about disinformation and malicious use of the technology. In addition to those categories, the public is also fears loss of control and the environmental impact of AI.
More than 40% of corporate leaders said environmental issues are not being factored into their AI deployment strategy, according to the report.
Roughly 60% of investors and half of the public said companies should spend more than 5% of their total AI investment on safety, while 59% of corporate leaders said they should spend up to 5%.
Just Capital said it will continue to track sentiments around AI deployment every quarter.
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