What Redditors think about AI taking jobs

Let’s come back to every present question about AI: Is AI taking jobs? If you’ve been online, you’ve seen the headlines about AI replacing workers, changing industries, and reshaping how we work.

This isn’t a new topic, but the discussion continues as AI companies release new, more powerful generative AI models and employers experiment with new AI tools into their workplace.

In my AI literacy workshops, the top question is still about whether or not AI will replace workers. The fear that AI will replace people at work is real and validated. An article from Korn Ferry points out that a survey showed “4,000 of the more than 80,000 job cuts last month were due to AI.” We see industries reporting fewer job opportunities due to AI, like a third of translators have lost their jobs to AI.

Discussions about the role of AI displacing employees are always insightful. But I’m curious to see how the greater public feels about the threat of AI replacing human jobs. So I turned to the place where so many humans share their opinions and experiences: Reddit. There so many discussions on Reddit about AI and jobs. You also get to see the nuance (and obviously, outright debate) on the question of whether or not AI will take our jobs.

I wanted to see how people will, so I selected three threads with over 500 comments about the subject. Then I used ChatGPT for data analysis on the threads, specifically asking for an overall sentiment analysis.

The results are a mix of feelings, from anxiety and skepticism to cautious optimism. In fact, the results reflect the same mixed feelings we get from the media:

Nobody is really sure about AI taking jobs.

Sentiment analysis

From the hundreds of comments analyzed, here’s what people are feeling:

• Concerned but not panicked
  Many people recognize that AI is changing how work gets done, but they’re not ready to declare it a job apocalypse. They’re seeing AI take over parts of jobs, like generating content or summarizing data, but not entire roles.

• Skepticism about AI’s capabilities
  A lot of comments were quick to point out AI’s flaws. People shared stories of tools like ChatGPT making mistakes or producing subpar results. They see AI as helpful but not reliable enough to handle complex or nuanced work. One redditor explained:

I asked ai to compile a list of businesses I could call on for some sales calls. So frustrating. AI is the worst employee I've ever had. Gavee me a short list and a bunch of reasons why a list wouldn't be accurate. In the amount of time I spent finding the right prompts, I could have done the list myself and saved time by opening a phone book.

• Frustration with corporate use of AI
  Some commenters expressed frustration with companies using AI to cut costs, often at the expense of workers. They highlighted the lack of transparency around these decisions and the pressure it puts on employees. “My company reduced our team by 60% after implementing an AI chatbot. It’s a cost-cutting move, not an improvement for customers.”

• Optimism about new opportunities
  Not everyone is worried. Some see AI as a tool to increase productivity or create new kinds of work. These comments often came from people who had already started using AI to complement their skills.

• Realism about change
  There’s a strong undercurrent of realism in the thread. People recognize that technological change is inevitable, but they’re also aware that the impact depends on how businesses and society handle it. One redditor noted, “AI is like any other innovation. It’ll change things, but it doesn’t have to be a disaster if we adapt.”

How are people thinking about AI replacing us?

• AI takes tasks, not full jobs, that is unless your job is only one task
  The consensus is clear: AI is automating tasks, not full jobs. Whether it’s writing copy, creating art, or answering FAQs, AI is good at specific things. But most jobs involve a mix of skills that AI can’t replicate, at least for now.

Where I completely disagree with the media and AI apocalyptic folks, is when they say that it will replace completely an industry and they claim it will be only robots and ai. There are just too many intricacies in any industry and career to be completely replaced.

I'm a live entertainment technician, there's not much in this field that can be replaced by AI

I am a freelance proofreader for translation companies, been doing it full-time for about 18 years. The last year has been an incredibly rough ride, AI has completely shaken up the translation industry so my clients don't have the same volume of work to send me that they used to.

• Human skills still matter
  Many commenters emphasized that judgment, creativity, and personal interaction are still essential in most jobs. They see AI as a complement to human work.

• Corporate behavior drives anxiety
  The fear isn’t just about what AI can do—it’s about how companies will use it. People are worried about layoffs and the pressure to do more with less. This is where much of the frustration comes from.

I'm in corporate media production and sit in on global branding meetings regularly. AI is something our company has already implemented in certain areas, such as our own version of ChatGPT. Additionally, the company is actively looking into AI-generative photo platforms. However, the use of those is years away due to the Uncanny Valley effect.

I'm not yet concerned about my job, but I'd be lying if I said I won't be in the next 5-10 years. I work with a few graphic designers and I've already seen our company shifting gradually to AI-generated posters, base designs, etc.

• Adaptation Is key
  Several comments highlighted the importance of adapting to AI. Whether it’s learning to use new generative AI tools or shifting to different kinds of work, the message is clear: staying flexible is the best way to navigate these changes.

I've seen friends in creative fields lose opportunities due to AI-generated content. It’s definitely a concern for many, including me. I think AI will change the landscape of jobs, but I believe there will always be a need for human creativity and emotional intelligence. Adaptability will be key in the next decade!

What this means for anyone who has a job

AI anxiety is here and it’s real. So here’s what to keep in mind as we navigate it:

• AI is a tool for tasks
  It’s good at specific tasks and most jobs are more than just a checklist of tasks. If your job is only one task, you are at greater risk of employers choosing AI over a human

• Keep learning about AI
  Understanding how AI works—and how to work with it—will give you an edge.

• Ask better questions
  Instead of asking if AI will take your job, ask how it might change your work or industry.

The takeaway on AI and jobs

The real question isn’t if AI will take jobs—it’s how we’ll adapt to it.

Stay curious. Keep learning. And don’t let the headlines scare you—AI is just one piece of a much bigger puzzle.