AI's Image Problem: New Study Reveals Shocking American Skepticism on Positive Impact
A new Pew Research study reveals that despite AI's economic rise, most Americans harbor neutral to negative views about its long-term societal impact and are skeptical about its regulation. While daily AI usage, especially of chatbots like ChatGPT, is increasing for research and work, significant age and gender divides persist, with many older individuals uninterested in adoption.
Despite the increasing dominance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the economy, a new study from Pew Research reveals that most Americans are not particularly optimistic about the technology’s long-term impact on the country. Although a significant number of Americans increasingly use AI in their daily lives, the research indicates that most hold neutral to negative views regarding it.
The study found that only 16% of Americans believe AI’s impact on society over the next two decades will be positive, while a substantial 40% anticipate a negative impact. Furthermore, a vast majority of people, specifically 67%, express a lack of belief that the U.S. government will enact meaningful regulations for AI. A similarly skeptical cohort, comprising 59% of respondents, do not trust companies to develop AI safely.
Demographically, young people, defined as those under 30, exhibit the most negative sentiments about AI, with only 14% of this group believing the technology will have a positive societal impact. Adding to this widespread skepticism, nearly two-thirds of Americans believe that AI’s development is progressing too rapidly.
Paradoxically, despite the overarching skepticism, a considerable number of Americans report using AI in their daily lives with increasing regularity. Approximately a quarter of Americans state they use AI chatbots on a daily basis, primarily for research purposes or for work, according to Pew.
Regarding specific AI tools, ChatGPT is overwhelmingly popular, with 44% of U.S. adults reporting its use, a figure that has more than doubled since 2023. Other popular chatbots include Gemini (24%), Copilot (17%), and Meta AI (14%), with Grok (8%), Claude (6%), and Character.ai (3%) showing lower adoption rates.
A notable gender divide exists in AI adoption and sentiment. While chatbot use is growing among both men and women, men are more frequent users and express greater enthusiasm, whereas women tend to be more skeptical. Men are more likely to report using AI chatbots daily (27% versus 20% for women) and, while equal shares of men and women use ChatGPT, men more commonly use other brands such as Copilot and Grok.
The report also highlights how AI is transforming information consumption habits. Six in ten survey respondents indicated that they routinely read AI-generated internet summaries. However, a much smaller proportion use AI to gather information on fitness and dieting.
Conversely, about half of the country states they do not use AI in their daily lives. Non-users tend to be older, with nearly 75% of Americans aged 65 or older reporting they never use AI chatbots. The primary reasons cited by these individuals for not using chatbots are a lack of interest and no intention of using them in the future.