Three-quarters of Dutch adults fear AI will cause job losses, survey finds

Nearly three-quarters of Dutch adults believe artificial intelligence will lead to job losses, while a significant majority fear the technology will erode workers' knowledge and skills over time, according to a Statistics Netherlands (CBS) survey published Wednesday. The findings reveal widespread public anxiety about AI's impact on employment and human expertise.

Employment Concerns

Around 75% of respondents predicted AI would eliminate jobs, with nearly half arguing that automation would make certain occupations less interesting. CBS researcher Luuk Hovius noted that predicting exactly which roles will be affected remains difficult. "You could think of administrative roles, but also some care tasks that could be taken over by robots. Or consider self-driving cars that could assist parcel delivery drivers. That's very difficult to predict, because we can't see how the technology will evolve," Hovius told Dutch broadcaster NOS.

Skill Erosion and Routine Tasks

Beyond job losses, 64% of respondents expressed concern that AI could cause decline in employees' knowledge and skills. Hovius explained that routine activities such as typing, writing, computing, and coding are increasingly delegated to AI systems. "You don't have to do that coding yourself; you can assign it to AI," he said, warning that over-reliance on such tools could gradually diminish hands-on expertise. The survey highlighted a tension between AI's efficiency benefits and its potential to deskill the workforce.

Societal Impact Perceptions

More than three-quarters of adults expressed concern about AI's broader societal impact. However, fewer than half believed the technology would help address structural challenges such as labor shortages or low productivity. The findings suggest Dutch citizens view AI as a disruptive force with uncertain benefits, skeptical that technological advancement alone will solve deeper economic problems while fearing its potential to displace workers and erode human capabilities.