Hollywood writers, directors and producers are taking AI-training contracts that pay $12 to $200 an hour to teach models tasks including screenplay writing, production scheduling, pitch-deck creation and video transcription. Training agencies including Mercor, Micro1 and Handshake hold contracts with major AI companies including Anthropic and OpenAI. Micro1 recently advertised production-expert roles paying up to $85 an hour for designing evaluation tasks involving budgets, schedules, vendors and crew coordination. The work has expanded as entertainment employment and production have fallen. FilmLA Research reported that Los Angeles shoot days dropped 48% between 2021 and 2025. US motion-picture and sound-recording employment declined from 450,000 jobs in July 2022 to 326,000 in May 2026, a 28% decrease, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Netflix said it used AI in 300 of its 1,000 titles in 2026. Some workers say the contracts provide essential income while potentially helping automate their professions. Screenwriter Jody Wheeler said AI can generate ideas but is unlikely to produce Oscar-winning scripts soon. An unnamed television writer who evaluates AI-generated scripts, podcasts, novels and lectures said the systems have improved but remain unable to approximate human emotion or nuance. Younger filmmakers are also using AI to create projects that might not otherwise receive funding; Zack London, known as Gossip Goblin, plans to release an AI-produced feature film in cinemas later in 2026.

AI has been blamed for threatening various professions, including education, writing, engineering, design, product management, and sales, while marketing, finance, and HR have largely escaped scrutiny. Concerns about AI's impact on industries like SaaS and SEO have also emerged.

Many tech professionals face skepticism about AI's impact on job security, particularly from those in traditional roles. Conversations often revolve around concerns regarding AI replacing human jobs in programming and other fields.

In 2026, the unemployment rate is projected at 4.28%, with AI capital expenditures at 2% of GDP, amounting to $650 billion. Job postings for software engineers have increased by 11% year-over-year, despite a narrative of job displacement.

Gen Z's increasing usage of AI technologies is leading to heightened negative perceptions, driven by concerns over job loss and social stigma. Opinions among young people regarding AI are declining as they navigate these challenges.

A Quinnipiac poll indicates that 55% of Americans believe AI will cause more harm than good, while 70% think it will lead to job losses. Additionally, 74% of Americans feel the government is not doing enough to regulate AI.

MIT research indicates that AI will transform job functions rather than lead to widespread job loss. The study suggests that AI's impact on the workforce resembles a "rising tide," shifting tasks rather than causing abrupt job displacement.

Jackson Curtis, a 28-year-old with 3½ years of experience in insurance, is shifting his career to become a full-time firefighter due to concerns that artificial intelligence will replace his office job focused on data entry. He believes that advancing in his current career would still leave him vulnerable to AI job displacement.