Americans Feel Way More Worried Than Excited About AI

Americans report greater worry than excitement about the growing role of artificial intelligence, according to a poll released Tuesday by Athena Insights. Among respondents, 28% said they were “very concerned” about AI’s “growing role” in U.S. society, while 37% were “somewhat concerned.” Only 6% reported being “very excited,” and 18% said they were “somewhat excited.” The survey also found that about 70% of participants say AI is already part of their lives regardless of preference, and 15% believe people like them can influence how much AI affects daily life. Roughly 70% said they have difficulty distinguishing what is real due to AI. The poll, conducted June 24–29 among 1,814 Americans, has a margin of error of 3.4 percentage points and highlights public-policy pressure. It comes after a Reuters/Ipsos poll on June 10 found half of Americans worried AI could leave them or someone in their household jobless.