A new YouGov survey finds that an increasing share of Americans are using AI tools, but many still don't trust the technology. Older Americans are particularly likely to worry about the impact that AI advances will have on society and the U.S. economy.
90% of Americans know at least a little bit about AI, including 12% who say they know a great deal about it. 40% know a fair amount about AI and 39% say they don’t know much about it. Only 7% say they know nothing at all about AI. A March 2024 poll found similar results.
Most Americans use AI tools at least occasionally: 59% use them, including 39% who say they use AI tools at least a few times per month. Usage among Americans has increased slightly since March 2024, when 51% said they ever used AI tools.
While AI usage becomes increasingly common, many Americans have worries about its potential. About one-third (36%) of Americans are very or somewhat concerned that artificial intelligence will cause the end of the human race on earth — fewer than in April 2023. Among people who know a great deal about AI, 49% are concerned about this.
Many Americans also have less existential fears about AI than its bringing about the end of humanity, such as its resulting in workers losing their jobs or having hours cut. Among people who are employed full-time or part-time, 28% are concerned about either or both of these negative effects on their work. However, about twice as many full- or part-time workers (62%) say they are not very concerned (31%) or not at all concerned (31%) about this happening to them.
Among workers under 30, 38% are concerned about AI advances resulting in their losing their job or having hours cut — compared to 25% of older workers. However, larger shares of both groups are not very or not at all concerned about this: 53% of workers under 30 and 64% of older workers.
Concerns over job loss or loss of hours may be low because few people have seen it happen to anyone they know. 13% of Americans know anyone, including themselves, who has lost a job or had their hours cut because AI took over some or all of their work — including 5% who say it has happened to a friend, 4% who say it has happened to an acquaintance, 4% who say it has happened to a family member, 2% who say it has happened to a colleague, and 2% who say it has happened to themselves.
53% of Americans say they feel cautious about advances in AI; 46% are concerned. Fewer describe themselves as feeling skeptical (36%), curious (34%), hopeful (26%), impressed (24%), or excited (24%).
Americans are split on whether AI's effects on society will be good or bad: 35% think the effects will be positive and 34% say they will be negative. Americans lean more favorably toward AI's effects on their own lives and on the economy. 33% think it will have a positive impact on their own life and 22% think it will have a negative effect . 36 of Americans think AI will have a positive impact on the economy and 27% think it will have a negative impact.
Americans 65 and older are more likely than younger adults to say AI will have a negative impact on society (48%, vs. 31% of younger adults). Older Americans also are more likely to say AI will have a negative impact on the economy (38% vs. 24%).
Though AI is likely to continue becoming more advanced, many Americans don’t trust it in its current form to make unbiased or ethical decisions. 58% say they have little trust in AI making ethical decisions, including 33% who don’t trust it at all and 25% who don't have much trust. 52% don’t trust AI to make unbiased decisions, including 25% who don’t trust it at all.
40% say they do not trust AI to provide accurate information.
Most Americans agree AI should be more regulated than it is now. 34% think it should be much more regulated and 34% think it should be somewhat more regulated.
The poll also explored how Americans feel about the effect of AI, the internet, and smartphones. 75% of Americans think the internet has had a very or somewhat positive effect on society overall; 70% say the same of smartphones. Far fewer (36%) think artificial intelligence has made a positive effect on society. 28% think AI has had a negative effect on society.
Adults under 30 (53%) are more likely than older adults (31%) to believe artificial intelligence's overall effect on society is positive (53% vs. 31%).
Related:
- Americans’ top feeling about AI: caution
- Americans prefer more, not less, regulation of dozens of major industries
- About half of working Americans believe AI will decrease the number of available jobs in their industry
- AI doomsday worries many Americans. So does apocalypse from climate change, nukes, war, and more
See the results for this YouGov survey
— Carl Bialik and Taylor Orth contributed to this article
Methodology: This article includes results from an online survey conducted November 27 - December 3, 2024 among 1,110 U.S. adult citizens. Respondents were selected from YouGov’s opt-in panel to be representative of adult U.S. citizens. The sample was weighted according to gender, age, race, education, 2024 presidential vote, 2020 election turnout and presidential vote, baseline party identification, and current voter registration status. 2024 presidential vote, at time of weighting, was estimated to be 48% Harris and 50% Trump. Demographic weighting targets come from the 2019 American Community Survey. Baseline party identification is the respondent’s most recent answer given around November 8, 2024, and is weighted to the estimated distribution at that time (31% Democratic, 32% Republican). The margin of error for the overall sample is approximately 4%.
Image: Getty (Jonathan Kitchen)
What do you think about the election, American politics in general, and everything else? Have your say, join the YouGov panel, and get paid to share your thoughts. Sign up here.