Americans See AI’s Promise. They Just Don’t Trust It

Three-quarters of Americans deem AI incapable of making ethical decisions, yet a majority agree it will unlock new possibilities and alleviate suffering. Recent polling reveals that Americans are caught between AI’s promises and pitfalls: While a plurality anticipates AI will affect their lives in a positive way, apprehension concerning regulation and ethical judgment remains widespread.

The latest Economist/YouGov poll of 1,604 U.S. adult citizens, conducted from May 29 to June 1, 2026, finds Americans uncertain about AI’s impending impact on their personal lives. The plurality, 28%, expects a somewhat positive effect on their lives. Yet 19% believe AI will have a somewhat negative effect, and 16% expect a very negative effect.

Americans have a similar outlook on the economy, with 22% ambivalent about AI’s economic effects. Americans remain more pessimistic about AI’s economic impact than its personal benefits, with 29% viewing AI’s economic consequences more negatively than positively.

There is a stronger sense of foreboding about AI’s impact on the economy among college graduates. The poll reports that 32% of college graduates are more negative than positive about AI’s effect on the economy, and only 16% are more positive than negative.

College graduates’ negative outlook on the economy comes amid widespread disruption in the job market, especially within the technology sector. In 2025, companies attributed 55,000 job cuts to AI, which is 12 times the number from just two years earlier.

Expectations about AI’s broader impacts are not uniformly negative, though. A majority, 54%, agree that AI will change the workforce just as other technological tools have throughout most of history. New technologies often unsettle the labor market before expanding the range of people’s productive capabilities. Americans may fear societal disruption, but they do not reject technological progress.

This sheds light on AI’s perceived promise. It has the capacity to facilitate new methods of work, communication, and problem-solving. Across categories, more than 60% agree on some level that AI will enable widespread progress that we cannot yet anticipate.

Yet trust in AI’s ability to evaluate ethical dilemmas remains low across all categories. Among Democrats, Republicans, men and women, more than 70% agree that they do not trust AI to make ethical decisions.

This finding comes amid mounting concerns over AI regulation. In 2025, the Trump administration adopted America’s AI Action Plan, which moved federal AI policy away from prescriptive directives in favor of fewer regulations. Many critics have argued that additional guardrails are necessary to relieve Americans from tech monopolies that “sacrifice the interests of everyday people.”

On June 2, the Trump administration issued a new executive order that modestly increases oversight of cutting-edge AI models while preserving its broader deregulatory stance. The shift echoes the uncertainty surrounding AI governance: how to preserve the innovations Americans expect from AI while addressing concerns that its risks require more targeted regulation.

The policy shift mirrors a broader public unease. The overwhelming plurality, 43%, concludes that AI cannot reason better than humans. Americans may accept AI as a personal tool, yet they remain wary of treating it as an independent actor that can make broadly impactful decisions.

Despite regulatory uncertainty, many Americans embrace AI for its potential. A majority, 61%, believe AI has a strong capacity to alleviate suffering and unlock new possibilities. This view is widely bipartisan, with 65% of both Harris and Trump supporters holding it.

As AI becomes embedded in personal and professional life, it creates tension. A lighter regulatory approach enables greater innovation, expanding AI’s capacity to improve life, health, and workplace efficiency. Yet that framework leaves Americans uncertain about who will set the guardrails on this rapidly advancing technology.

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