Artificial Intelligence and Support for Labor Market Policies: Evidence from a Survey Experiment

Fabio Angei (), Silvia Balia (), Rinaldo Brau () and Giovanni Sulis ()
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Fabio Angei: University of Cagliari
Silvia Balia: University of Cagliari
Rinaldo Brau: University of Cagliari
Giovanni Sulis: University of Cagliari

No 19062, IZA Discussion Papers from IZA Network @ LISER

Abstract: We study whether alternative narratives about Artificial Intelligence (AI) shape workers' support for strengthening labor market policies and whether these responses differ by workplace AI use. We conduct a four-arm survey experiment on a representative sample of 2,105 Italian employees. Respondents are randomly assigned to a control group or to one of three information treatments framing AI as a technology that may substitute for human labor, complement workers' tasks, or increase the need for reskilling. We then elicit support for five labor market policies. Average treatment effects on policy support are small, but mask substantial heterogeneity by workplace AI use. Among non-users, the substitution narrative increases support for publicly funded training and hiring subsidies, while complementarity increases support for training. Among workplace AI users, both substitution and complementarity reduce support for unemployment insurance and short-time work schemes. We interpret these effects showing that, among users, the substitution narrative increases the probability of expecting household financial losses from public intervention addressing AI’s labor market effects, without a change in perceived job-loss risk.

Keywords: artificial intelligence; labor market policy; workers’ perceptions; policy support; survey experiment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C93 D83 J08 J65 O33 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-11
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