Danes' fear of AI is smaller than expected

A new population survey from the Confederation of Danish Industry (DI) and Epinion finds that most Danes do not expect AI to take their jobs. 76 percent of people in the workforce do not expect their job to be replaced by AI within the next five years, while only about 7 percent, roughly one in fourteen, expect it to happen. Among those who already use AI at work, about half say it already makes them faster and better at their tasks.

The survey covered people aged 18 and over. In total 4,707 people took part: 1,835 answered whether they already feel effects of AI, and 3,248 answered whether they fear for their job and whether they expect to become more efficient over time.

DI's deputy director Søren Kryhlmand called the result remarkable given the worried public debate, and said it shows Danes trust there will still be a need for them and their skills. He said AI raises productivity and handles routine tasks, and that Danish companies are among the top in Europe in using it. He sees no sign in unemployment figures that the technology is taking jobs. He acknowledged that many employees will get new or different tasks and that uncertainty is understandable, but said DI expects AI to create new growth and that the country still lacks labour.

DI also presented a separate analysis based on Statistics Denmark data and answers from 7,150 companies. Since 2021, firms that use AI systematically have had revenue growth 6.5 percent higher than comparable firms that do not. For firms using AI across almost the whole business, the gap is 13.3 percent. Employment has also grown in these firms, which DI reads as a sign that the growth has not come with staff cuts. The smallest companies are said to benefit most.