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Only 16 Percent of Americans Think AI Will Have a Positive Impact on Society

techcrunch.com

June 17, 2026

3 min read

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65/100

Summary

Only 16% of Americans believe AI will have a positive impact on society, according to a Pew Research study. Despite increased daily use of AI, most Americans hold neutral to negative views about its long-term effects.

Key Takeaways

Only 16% of Americans believe AI will have a positive impact on society over the next 20 years, while approximately 40% anticipate a negative impact.
About 67% of Americans do not believe the U.S. government will effectively regulate AI, and 59% do not trust companies to develop it safely.
Approximately 44% of U.S. adults use OpenAI's ChatGPT, with usage more than doubling since 2023.
Nearly two-thirds of Americans feel that AI's development is occurring too quickly, and 60% report reading AI-generated internet summaries regularly.

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Community Sentiment

Negative

Positives

AI can significantly reduce inbound queries by providing quick answers from knowledge bases, which can enhance efficiency when human escalation is accessible.
Some users find AI valuable for specific problems, indicating that it can be a useful tool when applied correctly.

Concerns

Many users express frustration with AI customer service, highlighting its ineffectiveness and the preference for human interaction in critical situations.
The perception that AI is overhyped by the tech industry suggests a disconnect between technological advancements and public interest or trust.
Concerns about AI's non-deterministic nature undermine trust, as users expect computers to provide reliable and accurate outputs.