Majority of Americans are concerned about rapidly developing AI: poll

Most Americans across party lines say they are concerned about rapidly developing artificial intelligence (AI) technology, according to a poll released Wednesday. 

In a survey of 1,001 registered voters in the United States, 62 percent of respondents said they were mostly or somewhat concerned about growth in AI, 21 percent said they were mostly or somewhat excited about it and 16 percent said they were “totally neutral.”

Voters affiliated with both political parties said they thought AI could eventually pose a threat to the existence of the human race — 76 percent of all respondents, including 75 percent of Democrats and 78 percent of Republicans. Seventy-two percent of voters surveyed also said they preferred slowing down the development of AI.

Survey results also showed broad policy consensus in favor of regulating the AI industry. The vast majority of respondents, 82 percent, said they don’t trust tech company executives to self-regulate, and 56 percent of voters said they would support having a federal agency regulate the use of AI — compared to 14 percent who would oppose a federal agency and 30 percent who were unsure.

The survey, conducted by YouGov, was the first poll commissioned by Artificial Intelligence Policy Institute (AIPI), a think tank aimed at measuring public opinion on AI and providing policy expertise and analysis on the issue.

“The data is clear — Americans are wary about the next stages of AI and want policymakers to step in to develop it responsibly,” AIPI Executive Director Daniel Colson said in the press release.

“At a time when nearly every issue is polarized, there’s a broad consensus among Americans that policymakers need to decide what path AI development should take,” Colson continued. “In the coming years, AI will become increasingly pervasive, transforming various aspects of our daily lives. As a result, the country is in need of an organization to provide the general public and policymakers with polling, information, and research that will play a key part in regulating the technology.”

The poll comes at a time when Congress continues to weigh the best approach to regulating the rapidly developing industry. While many AI executives have asked for lawmakers’ help in providing guardrails on the industry, some have expressed concern that Congress does not have the necessary expertise to enforce appropriate regulations. 

The poll was conducted online from July 18-21. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.