A deepening sense of unease is taking hold across the American electorate as artificial intelligence (AI) moves from the realm of science fiction into the fabric of daily life.
A growing majority of Americans now view the rapid ascent of AI with skepticism, fearing its impact on the economy, education, and local infrastructure, according to a comprehensive national poll released Monday by Quinnipiac University.
The survey, conducted in collaboration with Quinnipiac’s Schools of Business and Engineering, reveals that 55% of Americans believe AI will do more harm than good in their day-to-day lives, up 11% since last April 2025.
The findings highlight a widening chasm between Silicon Valley’s ambitions and the public’s welfare. While industry titans like Amazon.com Inc., Meta Platforms Inc., Alphabet Inc.’s Google, and Microsoft Corp. are projected to pour $650 billion into AI infrastructure this year, the average citizen remains unconvinced of the “trickle-down” benefits.
A staggering 70% of respondents believe AI advancements will reduce job opportunities, a sentiment echoed by industry insiders. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei recently warned that the technology could trigger an “unusually painful” disruption in the labor market. In contrast, a mere 7% of Americans expect the AI boom to create more jobs.
Anxiety is not limited to digital spaces; it is increasingly physical. As data center construction booms, local communities are pushing back. The poll found that 65% of Americans oppose the construction of AI data centers in their own neighborhoods, citing concerns over rising electricity costs, excessive water consumption, and persistent noise pollution.
Localized resistance is set to become a focal point in upcoming midterm elections, as pro- and anti-tech groups throw millions into PACs and politicians from both parties cast Big Tech as the black hat in their campaigns. Despite millions of dollars in campaign contributions from AI billionaires like venture capitalist Marc Andreessen and OpenAI President Greg Brockman intended to secure “light-touch” regulation, public sentiment remains cooled.
The skepticism extends to the classroom and the battlefield. Nearly two-thirds of Americans believe AI will worsen the quality of education, while only 27% see it as a tool for improvement.
Furthermore, the public is wary of AI’s role in national security. A slight majority opposes the use of AI to select military targets — a concern sharpened by recent reports that the Pentagon utilized Anthropic’s technology for operations in Venezuela and Iran. The government and Anthropic are locked in a court battle over the Trump administration’s attempt to designate it as a supply-chain risk.
“Americans see the pace of AI development moving faster than expected,” the report concluded, noting that the technology is currently viewed less favorably by voters than even the most polarizing government agencies and the president himself.
The Quinnipiac University poll surveyed 1,397 U.S. adults via telephone in mid-March. The survey has a margin of error of +/- 3.3 percentage points.
