International Journal of

ADVANCED AND APPLIED SCIENCES

EISSN: 2313-3724, Print ISSN: 2313-626X

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 Volume 13, Issue 2 (February 2026), Pages: 134-143

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 Original Research Paper

Fear of the future: Understanding artificial intelligence phobia and its socio-cultural implications

 Author(s): 

 Abdulqadir J. Nashwan 1, Ahmad F. Klaib 2, 3, *, Mohammed Al-Hassan 4, Anil Raj. Assariparambil 5, 6, Ayat J. Nashwan 7, 8, I Gede Juanamasta 9, Ayman Mohamed El-Ashry 10, 11, Mohammad Al-Zaatreh 12, Hana J. Abukhadijah 13

 Affiliation(s):

 1Nursing Department, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
 2Department of Computer Engineering, Al Yamamah University, Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia
 3Department of Information Systems, Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan
 4Faculty of Nursing, University of Regina, Regina, SK, Canada
 5Department of Medical-Surgical Nursing, Manipal College of Nursing, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India
 6College of Health Sciences, VinUniversity, Hanoi, Vietnam
 7Department of Sociology, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
 8Sociology and Social Work Department, Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan
 9Nursing Program, STIKes Wira Medika Bali, Denpasar, Indonesia
 10Department of Nursing, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Jouf University, Al-Qurayyat, Saudi Arabia
 11Faculty of Nursing, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
 12School of Nursing, German Jordanian University, Amman, Jordan
 13Clinical Trials Unit, Medical Care and Research Center, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar

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 * Corresponding Author. 

   Corresponding author's ORCID profile:  https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0090-941X

 Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  https://doi.org/10.21833/ijaas.2026.02.014

 Abstract

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly integrated into everyday life, AI phobia—defined as fear and distrust toward AI technologies—has emerged as an important social and cultural concern. This narrative review examines the main origins and drivers of AI phobia, with particular attention to the influence of media portrayals on public perceptions. Key concerns such as job displacement, threats to privacy, and the reduction of human control in decision-making are identified as major contributors to these fears. The review also discusses the wider societal consequences of AI phobia, including its potential effects on technological innovation and public trust in AI systems. To address these challenges, this paper highlights the need for improved public education, stronger ethical guidelines, and more transparent communication about both the risks and benefits of AI. The review concludes by emphasizing the importance of continued interdisciplinary research to support the ethical, responsible, and equitable integration of AI into society.

 © 2026 The Authors. Published by IASE.

 This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

 Keywords

 Artificial intelligence, AI phobia, Public perception, Media influence, Ethical governance

 Article history

 Received 16 September 2025, Received in revised form 28 January 2026, Accepted 10 February 2026

 Acknowledgment

No Acknowledgment. 

 Compliance with ethical standards

 Conflict of interest: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

 Citation:

 Nashwan AJ, Klaib AF, Al-Hassan M, Assariparambil AR, Nashwan AJ, Juanamasta IG, El-Ashry AM, Al-Zaatreh M, and Abukhadijah HJ (2026). Fear of the future: Understanding artificial intelligence phobia and its socio-cultural implications. International Journal of Advanced and Applied Sciences, 13(2): 134-143

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 Figures

  Fig. 1  Fig. 2   Fig. 3  

 Tables

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