Americans overwhelmingly want more AI regulation, survey finds
A new survey shows 65% of Americans believe the government has done "too little" to regulate artificial intelligence, with majorities across both parties demanding stronger oversight. Only 17% expect AI to have a positive impact on the United States over the next decade, while 42% anticipate negative effects.
The Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania conducted the survey among 1,330 nationally representative adults from February through March 2026. The findings reveal deep public concern about AI's trajectory despite widespread awareness of the technology.
Pessimism outweighs optimism
Nearly 8 in 10 Americans say they've heard at least a moderate amount about AI, and 67% report using it at least a few times monthly. Yet this exposure has not bred confidence. Just 7% say AI's impact will be "very positive" over the next decade, compared with 22% who expect it to be "very negative."
One domain stands apart: medical research. Over half of Americans (57%) expect AI to have a positive impact there. Optimism drops sharply elsewhere-only 24% see benefits for government effectiveness, 22% for creative arts, and 19% for the economy.
The most pessimistic assessments concern mental health and well-being (17% positive), household utility costs (14% positive), and U.S.-China relations (5% positive).
Regulation demand crosses party lines
Support for stronger AI regulation transcends partisan divides. Democrats (77%), independents (72%), and Republicans (53%) all say the government has done too little. Only 8% of Americans believe regulation has gone too far.
This bipartisan consensus is unusual in the current political environment. When asked about AI regulation specifically, 22% of both Democrats and Republicans said a hypothetical Harris administration would handle it "about the same" as the Trump administration-a far higher rate of agreement than on immigration, inflation, or the economy.
Among those most pessimistic about AI, 83% want stronger regulation. Even among the small group most optimistic about AI's future, 43% say the government hasn't done enough.
When asked whether federal or state governments should lead on AI regulation, 52% favor the federal approach.
Data centers face public opposition
As AI infrastructure expands across the country, 49% of Americans oppose new data center construction in their area, including 31% who strongly oppose it. Only 21% support new facilities, while 30% remain neutral.
Job security concerns accompany these infrastructure worries. Among employed Americans, 41% say they're somewhat or very worried about losing their job or having hours reduced due to AI. Democrats express more concern (50%) than independents (41%) or Republicans (32%).
The survey has a margin of error of ±3.5 percentage points for the full sample.
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