Experts at Gigacalculator have revealed which industries are most anxious about automation by analysing global search data from January to November 2025. Data also indicated the jobs that have seen the most significant spikes or declines in searches for AI substitutes.
AI alternative searches
Data reveals that the finance industry leads the anxiety surge, with financial advisors seeing a 166% spike in AI alternative searches.
Accountants are close behind at 100% growth, and queries such as "will AI replace accountants" increased by 60% since January.
Coders (+88%), scientists (+35%), and data analysts (+50%) complete the top five.
Five roles that show a significant decrease in AI alternative searches include Therapists (-13%), Artists (-18%), Programmers (-28%), Software engineers (-56%), and Marketing assistants (-68%).
According to the findings, people seem more willing to trust AI for diagnosis than for emotional support, with searches for "AI doctor" rising by 25%, but "AI therapist" dropping by 13%.
"But the real plot twist lives in the tech sector itself. Programmers (-28.57%) and software engineers (-56.45%) have both seen dramatic drops in searches for AI alternatives, even as some of these roles are increasingly concerned about replacement. Software engineers, for example, show a 44% jump in replacement anxiety, yet actual searches for AI alternatives have cratered by over half," the report indicated.
