Cursed AI Images That Might Feel Like Creepiest Nightmare

Pew Research Center reports that a whopping 52% of Americans are more concerned than excited about the increased use of artificial intelligence in daily life. This signifies a huge uptick from 37% back in 2021.

Based on recent findings, a mere 9% of people are more excited than concerned about AI use. Meanwhile, 37% of respondents say that they are just as excited as they are concerned.

“Concern about AI is up among younger and older Americans alike since we first asked this question in 2021. But while the rise was mainly in the first two years for Americans ages 30 and older, concern continues to climb for adults under 30 – whose skepticism of AI has made headlines in recent months,” the Pew Research Center team explains the results of the recent survey.

In short, excitement about the daily use of artificial intelligence has dropped off while worry continues to climb.

Back in 2021, job loss due to AI was a major concern. Now, in 2026, this concern is increasing. According to the recent survey, a jaw-dropping 71% of respondents think that AI will lead to fewer jobs in the US over the next two decades. A minority (just 5%) think that AI will lead to more jobs.

“Worry over job loss has shown up throughout our research about AI, including among workers and even teenagers. And there’s no shortage of expert debate – many warn AI is a threat to jobs, while others have argued it creates them,” Pew Research Center explains.

“Young adults aren’t the only ones concerned about AI’s increasing use in daily life, or about job loss.”

Young people are, more and more, showing a negative perspective about the future of AI, even while they use these tools.

“Adults under 30 are most likely to think AI will be bad for society – and for them. They largely think it will make connection and creativity harder to come by. And though most say they use chatbots, they’re just as likely to say these tools hurt their own creativity as help it.”

Meanwhile, even if you’re not worried about AI’s effect on creativity and the job market, you should be more concerned about its impact on you. Namely, on your brain.

Harvard Business Review reports that researchers are sounding the alarm about AI use leading to cognitive fatigue, increasingly termed ‘AI brain fry.’

Excessive AI use is, bizarrely, linked to productivity in some companies, even if the results and efficiency gains are questionable.

“As firms increasingly incentivize employees to build and oversee complex teams of agents—for example, by measuring and rewarding token consumption as a proxy for performance—people are finding themselves pushed to their cognitive limits,” HBR writes.

In a nutshell, excessive AI use and constant multitasking lead to mental fatigue and strain, brain fog, problems focusing, slower decision-making, and headaches.

“Contrary to the promise of having more time to focus on meaningful work, juggling and multitasking can become the definitive features of working with AI. Unsurprisingly, workers are finding themselves up against the limits of their cognitive abilities when working this way,” HBR warns.

All of that additional mental strain leads to more errors, decision fatigue, as well as a bigger desire to quit. That being said, there are nuances: it’s not all black and white. AI can, when applied smartly, reduce emotional exhaustion.

HBR emphasizes that AI can actually help push back against burnout when it is used to replace routine, unenjoyable, or extremely repetitive tasks.

“This highlights the subtle-but-important distinction between the types of stress that AI can alleviate, and those that it may worsen.” Thoughtful applications of these AI-driven workflows can reduce work stress and improve social connection and motivation.

“If we can offload such unpleasant work to AI, we then have more time for more joyful, creative tasks.”

What is your relationship with gen AI like, Pandas? Have you given in to the hype? Do you hate how it’s affecting the environment and job industry? Do you see some practical use cases but remain wary of the over-the-top promises made by tech bros and billionaires?

What are the dumbest, weirdest, most interesting, and most disturbing things you’ve ever seen AI produce? Do you think that AI will lead to job losses or more jobs over the next couple of decades? What other concerns or hopes do you have?

No matter your point of view, we want to hear from you! Share your perspective in the comments at the bottom of this list.

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