Only 16% of Americans think AI will have a positive impact, study finds

Although AI is increasingly dominating the economy (with a hot IPO summer and everyone along for the ride), most Americans aren't especially optimistic about its long-term impact on the country, according to a new Pew Research study.
In fact, while many Americans are using AI more in daily life, most hold neutral or negative views about it, the research shows.
Only 16% of Americans believe AI's impact on society over the next 20 years will be positive, according to Pew, while about 40% expect a negative impact.
A large majority (67%) don't think the U.S. government will meaningfully regulate AI. Similarly, 59% don't trust companies to develop it safely.
Young people (under 30) are the most negative about AI. Pew says just 14% of this group believe the technology will have a positive societal impact.
On top of that, nearly two-thirds of Americans think AI development is happening too fast.
Despite the skepticism, many Americans report using AI more regularly in daily life. About a quarter say they use AI chatbots daily, typically for research or work, according to Pew.
Most AI users are on ChatGPT. Pew reports that 44% of U.S. adults now say they use OpenAI's chatbot, more than double the figure since 2023.
The next most popular chatbot is Gemini (24%), followed by Copilot (17%), MetaAI (14%), Grok (8%), Claude (6%), and Character.ai (3%).
There's a gender divide. While chatbot use is growing for both genders, men still use AI more and are more enthusiastic, while women are more skeptical, Pew says. Men are more likely to say they use AI chatbots daily (27% for men vs 20% for women), and while equal shares of men and women report using ChatGPT, men more commonly report using other brands like Copilot and Grok.
The report also highlights how AI is changing how Americans consume information. Six in ten respondents told Pew they regularly read AI-generated internet summaries (on Google, they're nearly unavoidable). A much smaller number use AI for fitness and dieting information.
There are still many people — about half the country — who say they do not use AI in daily life. Non-users tend to be older, while those under 50 are more likely to use it. Nearly 75% of Americans aged 65 or older say they never use AI chatbots.
Those who don't use chatbots say it's because they're not interested and have no intention of using them in the future.
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Although AI is increasingly dominating the economy (with a hot IPO summer and everyone along for the ride), most Americans aren't especially optimistic about its long-term impact on the country, according to a new Pew Research study.
In fact, while many Americans are using AI more in daily life, most hold neutral or negative views about it, the research shows.
Only 16% of Americans believe AI's impact on society over the next 20 years will be positive, according to Pew, while about 40% expect a negative impact.
A large majority (67%) don't think the U.S. government will meaningfully regulate AI. Similarly, 59% don't trust companies to develop it safely.
Young people (under 30) are the most negative about AI. Pew says just 14% of this group believe the technology will have a positive societal impact.
On top of that, nearly two-thirds of Americans think AI development is happening too fast.
Despite the skepticism, many Americans report using AI more regularly in daily life. About a quarter say they use AI chatbots daily, typically for research or work, according to Pew.
Most AI users are on ChatGPT. Pew reports that 44% of U.S. adults now say they use OpenAI's chatbot, more than double the figure since 2023.
The next most popular chatbot is Gemini (24%), followed by Copilot (17%), MetaAI (14%), Grok (8%), Claude (6%), and Character.ai (3%).
There's a gender divide. While chatbot use is growing for both genders, men still use AI more and are more enthusiastic, while women are more skeptical, Pew says. Men are more likely to say they use AI chatbots daily (27% for men vs 20% for women), and while equal shares of men and women report using ChatGPT, men more commonly report using other brands like Copilot and Grok.
The report also highlights how AI is changing how Americans consume information. Six in ten respondents told Pew they regularly read AI-generated internet summaries (on Google, they're nearly unavoidable). A much smaller number use AI for fitness and dieting information.
There are still many people — about half the country — who say they do not use AI in daily life. Non-users tend to be older, while those under 50 are more likely to use it. Nearly 75% of Americans aged 65 or older say they never use AI chatbots.
Those who don't use chatbots say it's because they're not interested and have no intention of using them in the future.
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