Anxiety around AI is growing rapidly in the US, research shows

People are increasingly anxious about artificial intelligence and the impact it is having on their lives, according to a new report.

More than half of the people surveyed in Stanford University ’s 2026 AI Index Report said that products using artificial intelligence made them fell nervous, while excitement surrounding the technology has fallen over the last few years.

Public opinion on AI is increasingly disconnected from the views of experts and insiders, the report noted, with people worried that AI will hurt everything from jobs and the economy, to elections and relationships.

The report also found that AI safety is not keeping pace with AI advances, with incidents more than tripling since ChatGPT launched in 2022.

“Adding to this challenge, recent research found that improving one responsible AI dimension, such as safety, can degrade another, such as accuracy,” the report’s authors wrote.

The report follows a growing trend of negative sentiment towards AI, with young people especially frustrated by it.

A recent Gallup poll found that Gen Z’s excitement about AI has fallen from 36 per cent to just 22 per cent since last year, while anger has risen from 22 per cent to 31 per cent.

The AI backlash appears to stem from the technology’s impact on society, rather than fears about a theoretical AI superintelligence that tech leaders continue to warn about.

“I think a lot of AI leaders are just out of touch with normal people and don’t realise that fears of skynet are not what is primarily driving anti-AI sentiment,” said US-based behavioural scientist Caroline Orr Bueno.

“That exists, obviously, but most people are way more concerned with their paycheck and the cost of utilities.”
Frustrations surrounding AI has seen an escalating trend of direct action against the companies developing it.

Online groups calling for development to be paused have surged in popularity in recent months, with some members taking extreme actions while pushing an anti-AI agenda.

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies