Pew: only 16% of Americans expect AI to make society better

A new Pew Research study finds that only 16 per cent of Americans think AI's impact on society over the next 20 years will be positive, while around 40 per cent expect it to be negative. The pessimism holds even as everyday use of AI keeps climbing.

The distrust runs deeper than the technology. Pew reports that 67 per cent do not believe the US government will do anything to meaningfully regulate AI, and 59 per cent do not trust companies to develop it safely. The most sceptical group is the youngest: among those under 30, just 14 per cent expect a positive impact, despite being among the heaviest users.

That gap matters because it arrives during a hot AI IPO summer, with valuations built on the assumption that AI becomes woven into daily life. A public that uses the tools but expects them to make things worse is a headwind no funding round can paper over.