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What Keeps Workers from Using AI on the Job?   by  Felix Richter,   Sep 29, 2026 While 4 in 10 workers surveyed for PwC’s Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey reported using AI tools at work at least weekly, making them an integral part of their work life, more than half of the almost 50,000 respondents said they used AI a few times a year or not at all, which was the case for 36 percent of workers. The reasons standing in the way of even broader adoption of AI tools are manifold. Among all respondents, concerns about accuracy and quality were the most cited barrier to AI use at work, named by 25 percent of all respondents and by more than 30 percent of frequent AI users. In second place was the lack of opportunities to use AI, which 23 percent of workers identified as an inhibiting factor to broader professional adoption. Interestingly, a perceived lack of opportunities to use AI was by far the most cited barrier among non-users at 34 percent. While there are certai...

  How Can Users Who Seek Mental Health Support from AI be Protected? by  Felix Richter, Oct 9, 2026 As more and more people lean on chatbots for comfort and guidance, experts have raised alarms over the potential pitfalls: erosion of social skills, unhealthy attachment to digital companions offering synthetic (i.e. fake) empathy, unvetted advice and the risk that vulnerable users might substitute professional help with AI tools. When it comes to safeguarding individuals who use AI for emotional well-being, however, users and non-users hold distinctly different priorities. According to a survey conducted by Mental Health America between May 2025 and July 2026, frequent users of AI for emotional support are primarily concerned with confidentiality. A leading 22 percent of regular users believe companies must ensure no one else can see their conversations, while 12 percent want guarantees that private chats won't be used to train models. At the same time, 15 percent want compani...

  Four in 10 Workers Use AI Daily; Agent AI Lags by  Felix Richter, Sep 29, 2026 As AI is reshaping the (working) world at breakneck speed, workers have no choice but to adapt to the new realities and requirements or risk being left behind . PwC’s Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey 2026, for which almost 50,000 workers from 48 countries were interviewed, finds that a gap is already opening up between those embracing AI and new ways of working and those lacking opportunities, motivation or support to acquire new skills. According to the survey, 64 percent of workers reported having used generative AI tools at work in the past 12 months, up 10 percentage points from the previous year. More than one in five workers even said they use AI at work every day now, highlighting the speed at which AI tools have reshaped the working lives of millions of people. At the other end of the spectrum, 36 percent of respondents haven’t used AI tools at work in the past year, and another 1...

  Almost 3 in 10 Americans Seek Personal Advice From AI by  Felix Richter, Oct 9, 2026 As AI has quickly become more capable and human-like in the way it responds to questions, many people are turning to chatbots as an accessible, non-judgmental way to discuss personal issues or mental health problem s. Ahead of World Mental Health Day on October 10, data suggests that millions of Americans are already using AI tools to navigate personal dilemmas and emotional challenges. According to a recent Statista Consumer Insights survey, getting personal advice or guidance is by far the most popular AI use case related to personal concerns and mental well-being, cited by 27 percent of U.S. respondents. Meanwhile, one in five Americans reported turning to AI tools specifically to reduce stress or anxiety, and 19 percent use them to learn more about mental health. Other common motivations include self-reflection and personal growth, talking through personal concerns, distraction and pract...

  Young People Most Likely to Turn to AI for Emotional Support by  Felix Richter ,   Oct 9, 2026 While artificial intelligence is making inroads across demographics, its adoption as an emotional support net is largely driven by younger generations. Digital natives, who already conduct much of their (social) lives online, are proving far more willing to confide in chatbots and companion apps than older users. Findings from Mental Health America , based on surveys of more than 10,000 respondents across the U.S., reveal a clear age gap that has widened over the past year. As of mid-2026, more than a third of respondents under the age of 18 reported that they regularly or often use AI for emotional support, up from 31 percent in 2025. Among young adults aged 18 to 24, adoption climbed even faster, surging from 20 percent to 29 percent. In contrast, reliance on AI for emotional coping drops sharply with age: Just 17 percent of 35 to 44-year-olds and 12 percent of adults aged ...

  by  Felix Richter,   Apr 16, 2026 The software industry is widely seen as one of the industries most exposed to the risks associated with the AI boom. The software-as-a-service, or SaaS, segment is seen as particularly vulnerable, because many of the solutions offered by SaaS firms are at risk of being replaced by AI agents in the not-too-distant future, potentially putting a lot of pressure on what was considered safe, predictable recurring revenue. These fears of AI disruptions have put significant pressure on the valuations of software companies in recent months, leading to concerns for the wider economy. The problem is that the software industry, and especially SaaS, is heavily backed by private credit because its subscription-based revenues are predictable, scalable and thus ideally suited to servicing debt . This makes it attractive for investors seeking stable, income-generating investments, a typical profile for private lenders. As our chart shows, direct, i.e. ...

  What is Private Credit? by  Felix Richter, Apr 16, 2026 Private credit has quickly become a major force in global finance, yet many people have never heard of it. At its core, private credit simply means that companies borrow money directly from investors instead of traditional banks. These investors, often pension funds, insurance companies or sovereign wealth funds, provide capital through specialized private credit funds, which structure and manage the loans . At the other end of the deal, companies receive financing, typically with more flexible terms than a bank would offer. The market has grown rapidly in recent years. One key reason is that banks have become more cautious due to stricter regulations, leaving a gap in corporate lending. At the same time, investors are looking for higher and more predictable returns than those available in traditional bond markets. Private credit hits that sweet spot, offering companies faster and more tailored funding while providing...

  The Private Credit Market Has Quadrupled Since 2015 by  Felix Richter, Apr 16, 2026 Private credit has grown rapidly over the past decade, transforming from a niche segment of the financial system into a multi-trillion-dollar market. As our chart, based on Pitchbook estimates, shows, global private debt assets under management have more than quadrupled since 2015, driven primarily by institutional investors such as pension funds, foundations, university endowments and insurers. This surge reflects a broader shift in how companies access financing. Following tighter banking regulations after the global financial crisis, traditional lenders have become more cautious, creating space for private credit funds to step in. At the same time, investors have been drawn to the asset class by the prospect of higher and more predictable returns compared to traditional fixed-income products. While institutional capital still dominates the private credit market, very wealthy individuals ...

  How Household Debt Levels Have Evolved by  Anna Fleck, Oct 2, 2025 According to the latest data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), household debt in the United States amounted to around 69 percent of GDP in 2024. This ratio is higher than several other major economies (between 44 and 50 percent in Spain and Germany, respectively, 61 percent in France and 65 percent in Japan). In 2024, three countries had a household debt ratio in excess of 100 percent of GDP: Switzerland (125 percent) Australia (112 percent) and Canada (100 percent). Over the past thirty years, the level of household debt in relation to GDP has risen considerably in high-income countries. For all eight economies analyzed in the following infographic, the average debt-to-GDP ratio has risen from 51 percent in 1990 to 72 percent in 2024. Many advanced economies, with the notable exception of Germany and Japan, experienced a sharp peak in household debt to GDP in the early 2000s. This excess of person...

  U.S. Household Debt Not Higher than Usual by Felix Richter, Oct 8, 2026 Even though household debt in the U.S. is at a record high of $18.8 trillion and many families are struggling to cope with high prices of everyday essentials, Americans aren’t drowning in debt. In fact, the household debt burden, i.e. the average household’s debt service payments as a percentage of disposable income, is lower than it's been for most of the past two decades. In Q2 2026, American households used 11.1 percent of their disposable income to service their debts. That’s down from nearly 16 percent amid the financial crisis in 2008 and from an average of 12.1 percent between 2010 and 2019. And while the debt burden has gradually increased from 9.1 percent in Q1 2021, that was a historic low caused by many Americans using Covid stimulus payments to pay off debt and others temporarily lowering their payment obligations by taking advantage of loan forbearance programs. Looking back further than 2005, th...

  U. S. Consumer Credit: Who Owes What by Felix Richter, Dec 4, 2025 Looking at who owes what in the United States, middle-aged Americans hold the most household debt . In Q3 2025, people between 30 and 49 years old held roughly half of all household debt, with those in the 40 to 49 age group accounting for 26 percent of the total debt balance. Considering that mortgage debt accounts for 70 percent of total household debt, this doesn’t come as a huge surprise. After all, many people take out a mortgage to buy a house when they’re in their thirties. And even if they’re younger than that, they’ll likely pay off their mortgage through the next decades, which are people’s main earning years. Underlining this, those aged 18 to 29 only held 4 percent of mortgage debt in Q3 2025. Still among young adults, mortgage debt was the largest chunk of the overall debt balance, though to a lesser degree than for older age groups. Among those aged 18 to 29, mortgages accounted for 53 percent of ove...

  Many Americans Use Debt to Pay for Necessities by Felix Richter, May 19, 2026 Almost four years after inflation peaked in 2022, U.S. consumers are still feeling the aftershocks of the inflation crisis, which significantly eroded purchasing power and strained household budgets. Even as inflation moderated, permanently elevated price levels continue to weigh on affordability, helping explain why many Americans are turning to debt not for discretionary spending, but to cover essential costs. According to a recent YouGov survey, the most commonly cited reasons for taking on debt are paying for everyday necessities and covering unexpected expenses or emergencies, far ahead of lifestyle or leisure spending. Further results from the survey underscore how widespread this reliance on credit has become: 58 percent of Americans report having some form of debt, with credit cards, mortgages and auto loans among the most common forms of borrowing. Notably, 44 percent carry unsecured debt, and...

  U.S. Household Debt: A Rising Tide by Felix Richter, Oct 8, 2026 According to the New York Fed’s latest Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit, total household debt in the United States was virtually unchanged in the second quarter of 2026, decreasing by $13 billion – or less than 0.1 percent – to remain at $18.8 trillion. The decline – if we want to call it that – was the first since Q2 2020, when Covid lockdowns had resulted in a $76-billion drop in credit card debt, and a rare interuption in the near-constant rise of U.S. consumer debt balances. Despite the high level of debt, overall delinquency rates remain relatively low, though slightly elevated compared to the historic lows seen during the pandemic, when consumers were flush with cash from Covid stimulus checks . Looking at total consumer debt, 95.3 percent of the total balance was current (i.e. all payments made on time or less than 30 days late) at the end of Q2 2026, up from less than 90 percent in the midst of ...

  Presidents Party Up Against Poor Odds in Mid-term Election by Katharina Buchholz, Sep 2, 2026 The Republican Party is controlling the House, the Senate and the presidency at the moment, but the midterm elections coming up at in November have the power to change this Status Quo. Congressional and presidential approval are near all-time lows as the Trump administration's wars are proving unpopular, but the party is also up against a historical precedent at the same time: The president’s party rarely does well in the midterms. As seen in data by The American Presidency Project, there are only two presidents of the modern age who could expand their party’s showing in both chambers in the midterms or at least not lose ground: Bill Clinton during his second term and George W. Bush during his first, when he managed to flip the Senate in his favor while holding on to the House just one year after 9/11. Against these few success stories stands a long line of defeats. President Donald Tr...

  Fox News Continues to Lose Viewers by Katharina Buchholz,  Oct 7, 2026 Fox News launched in the U.S. 30 years ago, on October 7, 1996. The channel founded by Rupert Murdoch is considered a prime example of the rise of explicitly partisan news outlets in American television. Statista Consumer Insights data shows that the channel, now and then, appeals primarily to a right-wing conservative audience. This editorial stance has made it the most successful cable news channel in the US, according to Nielsen figures published by Adweek, but some of that shine is now fading. As of 2026, Fox News still reaches an average of just over two million viewers during prime time (8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.). This puts the channel well ahead of competitors MSNBC and CNN. However, Fox News saw its reach dwindle continuously from reaching more than 2.7 million prime time viewers just two years ago. While competitors also lost viewers as linear TV is losing importance in general, both MSNBC and CNN...

  U.S. Party Affiliation: Countercyclical Tendencies by Katharina Buchholz, Oct 7, 2026 The midterms are a time when Americans usually let out their frustration with the party in power and the 2026 installment of the U.S. Congressional elections are no exception. They are even seeing a more extreme case of this phenomenon, as in 2026 so far, an average of 49 percent of Americans said they identified as Democrats or leaned towards the party, while only 39 percent said this about the Republican Party. This is according to surveys by Gallup. In 2024, the year of the last U.S. election and last year of presidency of Democrat Joe Biden, a slim majority of U.S. respondents surveyed said they favored Republicans. 2022, the year of the last midterms, saw a similar scenario. The change is more pronounced during Trump's first term in office, when 47-48 percent said they favored Democrats or leaned towards them in the midterms and prior to Trump's unsuccessful reelection bid vs. 41-43 pe...

  Democratic Party Affiliation Reaches Decade High by Katharina Buchholz, Oct 7, 2026 Ahead of the midterms, affiliation with the Democratic Party in the U.S. has risen to levels last seen in Q1 of 2009, the start of the presidency of Barack Obama. This is according to Gallup. In Q3 of 2026, 50 percent of respondents to surveys by the polling company said they identified as a Democrat or leaned towards supporting the party. Only 39 percent said this about the Republican Party . In Q1 of 2009, this gap had stood at 13 percentage points . Meanwhile, President Trump’s average approval rating stood at just 41 percent in the year so far, also according to Gallup. The midterms are typically a time when Americans voice their frustrations with the party in power and 2026 is shaping up to be no different. On the contrary, the decade-high in identification with Democrats might hint at an even bigger disadvantage than the president’s party usually already has in the midterms. At the same time...

  Heidi Schlumpf is Commonweal’s senior correspondent.  Can Catholic Voters Tip the Midterms?  A fter decades of campaigns to convince Catholics that the GOP is the only party for religious voters, the 2024 election seemed to confirm that to be Catholic in the United States is to be Republican. No longer was the Catholic vote evenly split, with any slight advantage helping to determine the winner—a reality that had led E. J. Dionne Jr. to quip a quarter-century ago: “There is no ‘Catholic vote.’ And yet, it matters.” Instead, by 2024, white Catholics were starting to resemble white Evangelical voters, with nearly two-thirds of white, weekly Mass-attenders opting for Trump. He even made significant inroads among Hispanic Catholic voters.  But while a majority of white Evangelicals continue to support the president, Catholic confidence in Trump has been tanking. Even before Trump started insulting Pope Leo this spring, support for his job as president had declined amon...