63% of the American public and 67% of institutional investors and analysts believe AI-driven profit gains should be reinvested in workers. Corporate leaders instead prioritize reinvesting in R&D (72%) and delivering returns to shareholders (54%).
“Our research suggests some sizeable gaps exist between how corporate leaders think about AI deployment and what the public and investors would like to see,” said Just Capital CEO Martin Whittaker. “The public understands the economic upside AI helps to create – but they need convincing that they stand to benefit from the gains. Companies that are able to do that will be rewarded with greater trust and a stronger overall license to operate. As the impacts of the AI transition continue to take shape, this will be extremely valuable.”
Public optimism on economic growth climbed 12 points (47% Fall 2025 to 59% Summer 2026).
Worryingly, the share of corporate leaders expecting large-scale job losses within the next 2–3 years nearly doubled, from 13% in Spring 2026 to 22% in Summer 2026. The public remains equally concerned about large-scale job loss and fewer entry-level positions.
The share of corporate leaders willing to dedicate more than 5% of AI investment to support displaced workers has more than doubled in the past six months (9% in Fall 2025 to 17% in Summer 2026).
The analysis above comes from the third wave of Just Capital’s unique quarterly survey of the American public, investors, and corporate leaders, which is designed to offer executives insight from key stakeholders as they aim to build trust, manage risk, and unlock AI’s upside potential. By measuring how perceptions and priorities shift across these groups over time, Just Capital aims to help business leaders make fully informed decisions as the AI landscape evolves. The inaugural wave was conducted in Fall 2025, and the spring wave was released in April 2026
