A Semafor-exclusive survey by Breakwater Strategy and YouGov finds many Americans expect robots to start replacing workers within five years, but most do not see their own jobs as threatened. Respondents were broadly comfortable with robots working behind the scenes (stock rooms, loading docks), yet only 39% accepted robots at self-checkout. Experts say familiarity from wider deployments could shift public opinion, similar to reactions to large language models.
Many Americans Expect Robots To Replace Workers — Just Not Theirs
Chart showing findings from survey
A new national survey conducted by advisory firm Breakwater Strategy with YouGov and shared exclusively with Semafor finds that many Americans expect robots to begin replacing workers within the next five years — yet a large portion do not believe their own jobs are at risk.
"There's a lot of anxiety about job displacement, but somehow it feels like at the moment, the notion of robotics is still a little bit distant," said Steve Weber, a Breakwater partner and UC Berkeley professor, in an interview with Semafor.
Key Findings
Survey respondents were generally comfortable with robots working out of sight — for example, in grocery store stock rooms or at loading docks — but far fewer welcomed robots in customer-facing roles. Only 39% said they were comfortable with robots operating at self-checkout stations.
Analysts say public sentiment is likely to improve as robotic systems move beyond pilot programs and become more familiar in everyday life. Barclays researcher Zornitsa Todorova compared the evolving public mood to the rollout of large language models, where attitudes often "wax and wane" between excitement and anxiety about impacts on jobs, privacy, safety and security.
Implications
Greater visibility and demonstrated safety, reliability, and convenience from real-world deployments could increase acceptance of robots in public-facing roles. At the same time, the survey highlights persistent concerns about job displacement and the tendency for people to underestimate their own personal risk.
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