Recent findings from Gallup reveal a growing skepticism towards artificial intelligence (AI) in the United States, coinciding with increased awareness of the technology. According to a poll conducted by Gallup, 39% of respondents believe that AI does more harm than good to society. This marks an increase from 31% last year and 40% in 2023. In contrast, 52% of participants view the effects of the technology as neutral, while only 9% see it as predominantly positive.
Amidst this skepticism, self-reported awareness of AI has also risen, with 70% of American adults in 2026 stating they have at least some knowledge of the technology, up from 64% in 2024.
The most significant shift in distrust was observed among individuals aged 18 to 29, where 47% now consider AI to be more harmful, compared to 36% in 2025. Trust in businesses' responsible use of AI has declined from 30% to 20% in this demographic, while the percentage of those who completely distrust companies has surged from 29% to 41%.
Concerns regarding job security have also intensified. A striking 79% of respondents anticipate that AI will lead to job losses in the U.S. over the next decade, up from 73% in 2025 and 75% previously.
Among those aged 18 to 29, the figure increased from 62% to 75%, while in the 45 to 59 age group, it rose from 75% to 84%.
Overall, only 27% of respondents expressed that they "strongly" or "somewhat" trust businesses to use AI responsibly, down from 31% in 2025.
The survey involved 3,270 adult participants from the U.S. and was conducted online between May 4 and May 11, 2026.
It is noteworthy that in July, around 200 individuals protested between the offices of OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google DeepMind in San Francisco, calling for a halt to the development of more powerful AI models.