At least 35% of AI users increasingly expect the technology to perform most of their work within a year, according to Anthropic's latest Economic Index.
The report, based on responses from about 9,700 Claude users linked with their usage data, found that nearly six in 10 respondents expect AI to handle a larger share of their work tasks over the next 12 months than it does today. More than one-third said they expect AI to be able to complete most or nearly all of their work tasks within a year.
The survey asked respondents what proportion of their work AI could complete on its own today and what they expected it to do in 12 months. Anthropic said people working in occupations with both high and low AI exposure anticipated a similar increase in AI capabilities over the next year, suggesting broad expectations of continued progress.
The report also found that expectations differed based on how people used AI. Users who delegated more work to Claude through automated interactions expected AI to take on a larger share of their work in the coming year. At the same time, these users expressed greater optimism about AI's impact on their careers, including expectations of positive effects on pay, job security and the ability to find work.
According to the report, early-career workers believed AI could already perform a larger share of their work than more experienced employees. They were also more concerned about job loss. Workers with at least 15 years of experience estimated that AI could perform about 10 percentage points fewer of their tasks than those in their first year of work.
The survey also examined expectations about workplace changes. More than one-third of respondents said it was likely or very likely that job responsibilities would change significantly over the next year, while 10% believed losing their own job was likely or very likely. Respondents were more concerned about job losses among junior colleagues than for themselves.
Despite these concerns, respondents reported productivity gains from AI. Around 86% said AI improved the speed of their work, 82% reported improvements in the scope of their work and 69% said it improved quality. Additionally, 68% said they were learning more with AI, while 57% felt AI had increased the value of their skills.
