These days, it has become a habit for me to ask AI for chord progressions while working on beats. I also get drum pattern ideas and brainstorm lyrics.

But the funny thing is, even though I use it well, there's still a nagging feeling in the back of my mind. It's like surfing on a wave but not knowing how deep the water is beneath my feet.

I thought I was the only one feeling this way, but the numbers show otherwise. This is actually the current mood in America.

First, let's look at how much AI is being used. According to a Gallup survey, in the first quarter of 2026, 50% of working American adults reported using AI in their jobs at least a few times a year.

This is an increase from 46% in the previous quarter. Among them, 13% use it daily, and 28% use it several times a week.

So, one in two workers is already collaborating with AI. Just looking around, it seems that tasks like summarizing meeting notes, drafting emails, and organizing Excel formulas have almost entirely become the domain of AI.

However, the numbers regarding anxiety are even higher. In a survey commissioned by Microsoft, Gallup found that 68% of Americans who use AI daily expressed concerns about it.

That's more than two-thirds. Among occasional users, the figure is 80%, and for those who have never used it, it's 74%.

Here's an interesting point: the daily users are the least anxious group among the three, yet nearly seven out of ten still feel uneasy.

This suggests that just because people become accustomed to something doesn't mean they automatically trust it. I feel the same way; my hands are used to it, but my mind is not at ease.

In the same survey, it was noted that out of 37 countries, 34 reported more positive emotions than negative ones. The U.S. was one of the few countries where this was not the case.

It's ironic that the country producing the most AI is also the most anxious about it. It feels like the fisherman who knows the sea best is the one most afraid of the storm.

A Pew survey shows similar results. In a June 2026 survey, 52% of Americans said they were more worried than excited about the increasing presence of AI in daily life.

In 2021, this figure was 37%. Only 9% felt more excited, while 37% said they were neutral.

The most striking finding was among younger people. Among those under 30, 55% expressed greater concern, marking the first time a majority felt this way.

One would think digital natives would be the coolest about it, but it's quite the opposite. However, it makes sense.

At a stage in life where they are just entering the workforce and building their careers, hearing that AI could take over even the first steps is concerning. The idea that the research and organizational tasks typically done by newcomers are the first to be automated is not unfounded.

At the core of this anxiety seems to be job security. In a Gallup survey from May, 79% believed that AI would reduce jobs in the U.S. over the next decade.

This is an increase from 73% a year ago, and among those aged 18-29, 75% expressed concerns about job loss. Only 5% of young people believed AI would actually create more jobs.

The percentage of workers worried that technology might eliminate their jobs reached a record high of 27%, more than double the 13% recorded in 2010.

The political aspect is also interesting. According to Pew, in a June survey, 56% of Democratic supporters expressed greater concern, while about half of Republican supporters felt the same.

I don't think one side is right or wrong. However, it's clear that anxiety is not confined to just one political faction.

As a musician, I can somewhat relate to this anxiety. When I see AI produce a decent track in seconds, my initial reaction is awe, quickly followed by a sense of emptiness.

It means that the snare sound I spent all night perfecting can be reduced to a single button for someone else. The more I use it, the more I feel that speed in my bones, which is even scarier.

There's also the issue of trust. In the same Gallup survey, among daily users, only 45% said they trust AI results to a significant extent.

This means that even those who use it daily are not fully confident. Even if the answer seems plausible, they still feel the need to double-check the source and verify the numbers, a fatigue that everyone can relate to.

The question of whether to trust companies is also cold. In the aforementioned Gallup survey from May, only 27% said they believe companies will use AI responsibly, down from 31% a year ago.

Ultimately, it's not the tool itself that's frightening, but who is using it and at what speed that causes anxiety. It's like being more afraid of the current than the wave itself.

So, I've decided to keep using it. Avoiding it won't make the water recede; instead, I think it's better to learn how to read the current.

If it were me, I would start by honestly dividing the parts of my job that AI can take over and those it cannot, and then spend more time on the parts that cannot be replaced.

In the end, I make the final decision with my ears. AI can create the waves, but I decide what line to ride on top of them.