Americans Are Using AI More But Trusting It Much Less

Americans are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence to help with research, writing, and office tasks, but they are not happy about it. A new poll from Quinnipiac University shows a strange trend. Even as more people adopt these tools, their trust in the technology is hitting a new low. More than three quarters of the people surveyed said they don’t trust AI. They either trust it only sometimes or not at all. Only a small group of about 21% say they trust what the machine tells them most of the time.

Chetan Jaiswal, a computer science professor, finds this contradiction striking. People are clearly using AI for work and school, but they do so with a lot of hesitation. It seems we are embracing the efficiency of the tool while remaining deeply suspicious of the results. This lack of trust might come from a general feeling of dread about what the future holds. Very few people are actually excited about what AI will bring to our society. Instead, the majority are either indifferent or very concerned. Millennials and baby boomers seem to be the most worried groups, with Gen Z not far behind them.

A solid half of the population thinks AI will do more harm than good in their daily lives. Only about a third think the opposite. This negative view has grown over the past year. It is likely fueled by news of big tech layoffs and concerns about how much energy and water these massive AI data centers use. In fact, most Americans are against building these data centers in their own neighborhoods. They worry about rising electricity costs and the strain on local resources.

The biggest fear involves the job market. Most people think AI will cut the number of available jobs rather than create new ones. This is a big shift from just last year when more people were optimistic about employment. It is not just a feeling, either. Entry level job postings in the United States have dropped significantly over the last few years. Leaders in the industry have even warned that the tech will wipe out certain types of roles. Young people are the most pessimistic about this, even though they are the ones who use the tools the most.

Interestingly, while people are worried about the labor market in general, most don’t think AI will take their specific job yet. About 30% of workers are concerned their own role will become obsolete, which is up from last year but still a minority. It seems people find it easier to imagine a tough market for everyone else than to see themselves losing out to a computer program.

A big part of the trust issue comes down to the companies behind the tech. Most people don’t believe these corporations are being honest about how they use AI. They also feel the government isn’t doing enough to regulate the industry. There is a push for better rules, but federal officials are currently leaning toward a light touch approach to avoid slowing down innovation. For now, Americans are sending a clear warning. They are using the tools because they have to, but they aren’t sold on the people or the policies behind them.