Will AI Take My Job? Evolving Perceptions of Automation and Labor Risk in Latin America

TL;DR

This study analyzes how perceptions of AI and automation's impact on jobs have evolved in Latin America, revealing significant variation and key predictors of concern across different countries and over time.

Contribution

It provides the first comprehensive analysis of Latin American public perceptions of AI-driven job risk using multi-year survey data and advanced statistical methods.

Findings

Fear of job loss peaked in 2018.

Education and political views predict concern levels.

Substantial variation across countries and over time.

Abstract

As artificial intelligence and robotics increasingly reshape the global labor market, understanding public perceptions of these technologies becomes critical. We examine how these perceptions have evolved across Latin America, using survey data from the 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2023 waves of the Latinobar\'ometro. Drawing on responses from over 48,000 individuals across 16 countries, we analyze fear of job loss due to artificial intelligence and robotics. Using statistical modeling and latent class analysis, we identify key structural and ideological predictors of concern, with education level and political orientation emerging as the most consistent drivers. Our findings reveal substantial temporal and cross-country variation, with a notable peak in fear during 2018 and distinct attitudinal profiles emerging from latent segmentation. These results offer new insights into the social and structural dimensions of AI anxiety in emerging economies and contribute to a broader understanding of public attitudes toward automation beyond the Global North.