Most Americans are becoming increasingly concerned about the expanding use of artificial intelligence in their daily lives, according to a recent study conducted by the Pew Research Center. The study, which surveyed more than 11,000 Americans, finds that 52 percent are “more concerned than excited” about AI’s proliferation, marking a significant increase from just 38 percent last year and 37 percent in 2021.
By contrast, only 10 percent of those polled this year are “more excited than concerned,” and 36 percent are “equally excited and concerned.”
The survey shows that concerns outweigh excitement across all age groups. The gap is most pronounced among those age 65 and over, with 61 percent expressing more concerns compared to a mere 4 percent who feel more excitement. Similarly, among individuals ages 18 to 29, 42 percent express higher levels of concern, while 17 percent find themselves more excited about AI’s development.
Privacy emerges as the predominant concern among respondents: 53 percent believe AI hurts more than it helps in securing personal information, compared to only 10 percent who consider it more helpful.
The surge in concern among the public correlates with greater awareness of AI’s presence and implications. AI has already established a strong foothold in areas such as facial recognition, search engines, and social media, and its expansion across various sectors is expected to continue at a rapid pace.
As a result, AI has come under growing scrutiny by both sides of the aisle on Capitol Hill. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer launched an initiative earlier this year to regulate AI, stating, “I will convene the top minds in artificial intelligence here in Congress for a series of AI Insight Forums to lay down a new foundation for AI policy.”
Similarly, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy stressed the need to educate Congress members on AI. McCarthy told Congress, “These briefings are about, how do we educate ourselves collectively — it doesn’t matter what committee you’re on — about an emerging issue, so we gather information together before we go into the legislative process.”
David Gries, a professor of computer science at Cornell University, told The American Spectator, “AI will be used for good but also for a lot of bad and false information and will make it easier for hackers to break into websites.”
“But I think the cat is already out of the bag,” Gries added, “and there will be no way to cram the cat back into the bag. No amount of legislation will force the cat back in.”
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