Anthropic Study Finds Link Between AI Productivity And Fear

InnovationEnterprise TechAnthropic Study Finds Link Between AI Productivity And FearByJoe McKendrick,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Joe McKendrick covers how technology moves markets and careersFollow AuthorApr 24, 2026, 01:39pm EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.AI helps, AI hurtsgettyThe closer you are to AI’s orbit, the more you see its benefits – and potential threats. Such is the paradox found in a new study of 81,000 Claude users out of Anthropic. Those seeing the biggest productivity gains are also the most concerned about job displacement, especially in roles highly exposed to AI and among early-career workers.AI tools such as Claude offer empowerment on a personal level, the study’s authors point out. “People are most likely to talk about benefits flowing to themselves rather than to employers or AI companies.”High-wage workers – especially entrepreneurs and technologists – registered the greatest productivity gains from using AI. People with low-wage jobs and lower levels of education also reported large productivity gains. “Most respondents reported that Claude enhanced their capabilities in the form of broadening the scope of their work or speeding it up,” the Anthropic researchers said. "But users experiencing the largest speedups were also the most nervous about AI’s job impacts.”The data, part of Anthropic’s Economic Index, took a deep dive into people’s thoughts and impressions of AI – using Claude for analysis, of course.When it comes to a future propelled by AI, peoples’ concerns turn to economics. About one in five respondents worried about job displacement. Simultaneously, "they also feel more productive and empowered at work,” the researchers found. “In some cases, AI has enabled them to start businesses, or given them time for more important things. In others, AI feels stifling, or imposed on...