What 81,000 people want from AI

anthropic.com
March 19, 2026
29 min read
57/100
Summary
A survey involving 81,000 Claude users from 159 countries and 70 languages gathered insights on AI usage, aspirations, and concerns. This study is considered the largest and most multilingual qualitative research on public perceptions of AI.
Key Takeaways
- Over 80,000 people from 159 countries participated in a qualitative study about their hopes and concerns regarding AI, conducted by Anthropic.
- The largest group of respondents (19%) expressed a desire for AI to enhance "professional excellence" by managing mundane tasks, allowing them to focus on strategic issues.
- The study utilized Claude-powered classifiers to categorize responses, capturing diverse perspectives on what users want from AI and their associated fears.
- The research aimed to ground the conversation about AI in the concrete aspirations of users rather than abstract projections of its risks and benefits.
Coverage & discussions
Hacker News · anthropic.com
Community discussions
Historical count: 5 · 5 saved in sample · Historical sample
Analysis ready
Community Sentiment
Positives
- AI significantly accelerates business processes, as evidenced by a contractor using Claude Code to achieve remarkable development speeds.
- One user reported completing a six-year scientific project in just five weeks with the help of AI, showcasing its potential to drastically reduce time-to-results.
- AI provides not only practical solutions but also emotional support, helping individuals cope during crises, which highlights its multifaceted applications.
Concerns
- The research presented may be biased, as it originates from a company that produces AI agents, raising concerns about the objectivity of the findings.
- Some comments suggest that the survey reflects a limited understanding of what entrepreneurs truly need, likening it to asking for a 'faster horse' instead of innovative solutions.
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