While AI is becoming a significant force in the economy, with a surge in IPOs, a new Pew Research study indicates that many Americans remain skeptical about its long-term effects on the nation.
Despite the increasing use of AI in daily life, most Americans hold neutral to negative opinions about the technology, according to the research.
Pew reports that just 16 percent of Americans expect AI to positively impact society over the next two decades, while around 40 percent foresee a negative impact.
A significant 67 percent of people don’t believe that the U.S. government will take substantial steps to regulate AI effectively. Similarly, 59 percent lack confidence that companies will develop the technology safely.
Young people, particularly those under 30, express the most negative sentiments about AI, with only 14 percent believing it will benefit society, according to Pew.
Additionally, nearly two-thirds of Americans feel that AI development is progressing too rapidly.
Despite these concerns, many Americans report using AI regularly in their daily lives. About a quarter of the population engages with AI chatbots daily, primarily for research or work-related tasks, Pew notes.
ChatGPT is the most widely used AI tool, with 44 percent of U.S. adults now utilizing OpenAI’s chatbot, a number that has more than doubled since 2023, according to Pew.
Other popular chatbots include Gemini at 24 percent, Copilot at 17 percent, and MetaAI at 14 percent, while Grok, Claude, and Character.ai trail with lower usage rates.
There is a notable gender difference in AI usage. While chatbot use is increasing among both men and women, men tend to use AI more frequently and are generally more enthusiastic about it. Men are more likely to report daily usage of AI chatbots (27 percent compared to 20 percent for women) and are also more inclined to use other brands like Copilot and Grok, according to Pew.
The study also sheds light on how AI is altering information consumption habits. Sixty percent of survey participants say they regularly read AI-generated internet summaries, which are virtually unavoidable on platforms like Google. Fewer respondents use AI for fitness and dieting information.
Despite the widespread use of AI, nearly half of Americans claim they do not use AI in their daily routines. Non-users tend to be older, with those over 65 most likely to avoid AI, as nearly 75 percent of this age group say they never use AI chatbots.
Those who avoid chatbots cite a lack of interest and no intention to use them in the future.
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.
