Public attitudes toward AI are mixed: Many Americans worry about data centers, higher electric bills and job losses and favor stronger regulation. Yet multiple polls show sizable shares of optimism or neutrality, and AI is not a top priority for most voters. Political actors would likely gain more traction by addressing concrete risks and governance than by declaring an uncompromising "anti‑AI" stance.
Americans’ Views on AI: Anxiety and Ambivalence, Not Uniform Hostility
Rural Michigan residents rally against the $7 billion Stargate data center on December 1, 2025, planned on Southeast Michigan farm land. | Jim West/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Some commentators argue that voters "hate" artificial intelligence and that Democrats could exploit that anger by adopting an uncompromisingly anti-AI stance. The evidence, however, points to a more complicated mix of concern, caution and conditional support. Americans are uneasy about certain aspects of AI—particularly data-center buildouts and job disruption—but many also see value in advanced AI and favor stronger government oversight rather than outright bans.
What Polls Show
Polling reveals clear worries alongside notable nuances:
- Widespread concern: In June, 50% of Americans told Pew Research Center they were "more concerned than excited" about AI in daily life, while just 10% said they were "more excited than concerned."
- Fear of job loss: A Reuters/Ipsos poll in August found 71% of voters worried AI will "put too many people out of work permanently."
- Local backlash over data centers: A Morning Consult survey (November) showed support for banning data-center construction near homes by 41% to 37%, and 58% blamed "AI data centers" at least in part for rising electricity prices.
- Strong appetite for regulation: 61% told Ipsos the government should regulate AI to ensure economic stability, and Gallup found voters favored prioritizing rules for AI safety and data security over rapidly developing capabilities by an 80% to 9% margin.
Mixed Attitudes And Context
At the same time, several surveys show a sizable share of Americans with neutral or positive views of AI: Blue Rose Research found 40.1% of respondents "optimistic" about AI versus 35.6% "pessimistic," and Navigator reported 49% favorable to 41% unfavorable in December. Gallup also found 79% think it's important for the U.S. to have the world's most advanced AI and 56% favor increased government spending on AI research.
The Pew results often cited by skeptics further illustrate the nuance: while only 17% expected AI's impact on the U.S. to be positive over the next 20 years, just 35% said it would be negative—meaning roughly two-thirds saw AI's effects as either positive or neutral.
Political Implications
Crucially, AI is not a top-tier issue for most voters right now. An AP-NORC poll asked voters to name five problems the government should prioritize in 2026; only 3% mentioned technology, AI or social media. Navigator found just 7% listed AI among their top five priorities, and 75% of voters reported hearing "little" or "nothing" about new data centers being built near them.
That combination—heightened concerns about specific harms, broad support for regulation, but relatively low salience—means an absolute, unqualified "anti-AI" platform is unlikely to be an instant, vote-winning strategy. Democrats (or any party) could win political ground by targeting specific concerns—energy use, local impacts of data centers, worker protections, and enforceable safety standards—while recognizing that many voters still value AI's potential and want governance rather than wholesale rejection.
Bottom line: Americans are anxious and ambivalent about AI. They want stronger rules and protections, but they are not uniformly hostile—and most do not yet view AI as one of their top political priorities.
