New Index Reveals Millions of U.S. Jobs at Risk from AI Automation

The American AI Jobs Risk Index maps AI-driven job vulnerability across occupations, industries, and regions

Mar. 25, 2026 at 3:50am

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A new study from Digital Planet at Tufts University's Fletcher School has released the American AI Jobs Risk Index, a first-of-its-kind data-driven framework that maps the potential for AI-driven job displacement across the United States. The index projects that approximately 9.3 million U.S. jobs are at risk of displacement in the next 2-5 years, with associated household income at risk spanning $200 billion to $1.5 trillion annually.

Why it matters

The index highlights the significant economic and political implications of AI-driven job disruption, with major urban centers and innovation hubs facing the highest risks. It also reveals that the states and regions most impacted by AI job displacement are already the most active in seeking AI regulation, setting up a potential collision course with the federal government's efforts to limit state-level AI oversight.

The details

The index measures actual vulnerability to job loss, not just exposure, and connects that vulnerability directly to projected income loss and geography. It finds that high-earning knowledge workers like writers, computer programmers, and web designers face the highest rates of displacement, while lower-wage physical and manual jobs are less vulnerable. The index also identifies 33 'tipping point' occupations spanning 4.9 million workers that could swing from under 10% to over 40% displacement risk depending on the pace of AI adoption.

  • The index was released on March 24, 2026.
  • It projects job displacement occurring in the next 2-5 years.

The players

Digital Planet

A research center at The Fletcher School at Tufts University that is at the forefront of researching the AI transformation.

Bhaskar Chakravorti

Dean of Global Business at The Fletcher School at Tufts University and Chair of Digital Planet.

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What they’re saying

“We already know that AI is not just automating routine tasks — it is moving up, targeting the cognitive and analytical work that defines high-skill, high-wage careers. The jobs of the future will be secured by those with a combination of subject-matter expertise, critical-thinking skills for human judgment, and knowledge of AI and how to use it.”

— Bhaskar Chakravorti, Dean of Global Business, The Fletcher School at Tufts University, and Chair of Digital Planet

What’s next

The index will be updated as AI capabilities and labor market conditions evolve. Policymakers, businesses, technologists, and civil society organizations are urged to take action based on the report's recommendations to address the potential economic and political disruption from AI-driven job displacement.

The takeaway

The American AI Jobs Risk Index provides a comprehensive, data-driven assessment of the scale and geographic distribution of AI-driven job disruption facing the United States, underscoring the need for proactive, multi-stakeholder efforts to prepare workers and communities for the transformative impact of artificial intelligence.