Fear of AI Replacement and its Relationship with Anxiety, Career Uncertainty, and Life Satisfaction

Abstract

The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the nature of work and creating growing concerns about future employment among university students. Fear of AI replacement may influence students’ psychological well-being and perceptions of career security. The present study examined the relationship between fear of AI replacement, anxiety, career insecurity, and life satisfaction among university students in Pakistan. A quantitative cross-sectional correlational design was used with a sample of 400 university students aged 18–25 years, comprising 200 males and 200 females. Participants completed measures of fear of AI replacement, career insecurity, anxiety, and life satisfaction. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and regression analysis. The findings indicated that fear of AI replacement was positively associated with anxiety (β = .43, p < .001) and career insecurity (β = .52, p < .001), while it was negatively associated with life satisfaction (β = −.31, p < .001). Regression analyses showed that fear of AI replacement explained 18% of the variance in anxiety, 27% in career insecurity, and 10% in life satisfaction. The findings suggest that greater fear of AI replacement may be associated with increased anxiety and career insecurity and reduced life satisfaction among university students. Universities should consider integrating AI literacy, career counselling, employability skills, and psychological support to help students adapt to AI-related changes in the future market.