76% of Americans distrust AI as daily use grows
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- Quinnipiac University poll of nearly 1,400 Americans found 76% trust AI rarely or only sometimes, while just 21% trust it most or almost all of the time, per the survey published Monday.
- AI adoption is accelerating: only 27% of Americans said they've never used AI tools, down from 33% in April 2025, with 51% using it for research and others turning to it for writing, work, and data analysis.
- Americans' anxiety is intensifying — 80% are very or somewhat concerned about AI, only 6% say they're "very excited," and 55% believe AI will do more harm than good in their daily lives.
- Job fears have grown sharply: 70% now think AI will cut job opportunities, up from 56% a year ago, with Gen Z the most pessimistic at 81% expecting fewer jobs.
- 65% of Americans oppose building AI data centers in their communities, primarily citing high electricity costs and water use.
- Two-thirds of respondents say businesses aren't transparent enough about their AI use, and the same share says the government isn't doing enough to regulate the technology amid Trump's "largely light-touch" federal AI framework.
Why it matters: The trust gap creates political risk for the AI industry: with 65% already opposing data centers in their own communities and two-thirds demanding more regulation, companies face a potential backlash that could override Trump's light-touch federal framework and empower state-level rules already being pushed by lawmakers.
