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Only 16 percent of Americans think AI will have a positive impact on society, a new study shows

Although Wall Street loves AI, everyday Americans are significantly less optimistic about the industry, a new report from Pew Research shows.

Only 16 percent of Americans think AI will have a positive impact on society, a new study shows

TL;DR

  • Only 16% of Americans believe AI will have a positive impact on society in the next 20 years; 40% expect a negative impact.
  • A majority (67%) do not believe the U.S. government will meaningfully regulate AI, and 59% distrust companies to develop it safely.
  • Nearly two-thirds of Americans think AI development is occurring too quickly.
  • About a quarter of Americans use AI chatbots daily, primarily for research or work.
  • ChatGPT is the most used AI chatbot (44% of U.S. adults), followed by Gemini (24%) and Copilot (17%).
  • Men are more likely than women to use AI chatbots and express more enthusiasm.
  • Six in 10 survey respondents report routinely reading AI-generated internet summaries.
  • Half of the country does not use AI in their daily lives, often citing a lack of interest, with older individuals (65+) being the least likely to use AI chatbots.