What do different groups of Americans think about AI?
Here we break down the findings by party, sex, age, education, income, and race and ethnicity.
We focus on the differences that have held steady across surveys and trends that have emerged over time.
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Some of the steadiest differences are by education and party: college graduates see more of AI's effects in their communities, and Democrats are more likely than Republicans to say the government is doing too little about AI.
Since we began tracking, the belief that loss of control is already happening has grown across groups, among Democrats by +22 points. And the parties have drifted apart on concern: Democrats have grown more concerned (+13 points), and Republicans have not.
Personal Experience
Most Americans in every group are concerned about AI, but women and older adults are more concerned than men and younger adults.
Among women, 71% say they are concerned, compared to 66% of men. Among adults 65 and older, 73% say so, compared to 66% of those 35 to 49. White adults are more concerned than Black adults too, 72% to 63%.
In contrast, men are more likely to be excited: 24%, compared to 18% of women.
Excited or concerned, by group
Democrats and Republicans have diverged on levels of total concern since September, following Jacob Coxon's resignation.
Concern among Democrats rose from 73% in late August to 80% in early September (+7 points), and it has remained higher since then. Republicans have barely moved since we began tracking.
Concerned, by party, over time
Democrats and Republicans, with all adults
Democrats' excitement fell over the same period, from 22% to 13% (−9 points), while Republicans' increased, from 24% to 29% (+5 points).
Excited, by party, over time
Democrats and Republicans, with all adults
Younger adults are the most likely to say they can shape AI's role in their lives. Among adults 18 to 34, 16% say so, compared to 10% of those 65 and older. Older adults are the most likely to say AI is coming whether they want it or not: 80% of those 65 and older, compared to 61% of the youngest adults.
Education matters mainly in how certain people are about AI: those with a high school education or less are more likely to say neither statement fits, 22% compared to 9% of college graduates. Unlike on concern, Democrats and Republicans differ little: 69% and 74% say AI is coming regardless.
Ours to shape or inevitable, by group
Community & Family Impacts
College graduates and higher earners see more of AI's effects in their communities, good and bad.
Among college graduates, 61% say they are seeing AI save people time on everyday tasks, or are starting to, compared to 42% of those with a high school education or less (+19 points).
Among those earning $100,000 or more, 60% say so, compared to 42% of those earning under $50,000 (+18 points).
Younger adults also see more people saving time: 54% of adults 18 to 34, compared to 40% of those 65 and older.
Saving time, by group
- People are saving time on everyday tasks
More college graduates see people struggling to tell what's real: 87%, compared to 70% of those with a high school education or less. Among those earning $100,000 or more, 86% see it, compared to 72% of those earning under $50,000.
Struggling to tell what's real, by group
- People are struggling to tell what's real from what's fake
Few in any group see people getting better health care because of AI, whatever their age, education, income or sex.
Better health care, by group
- People are getting better health care
Democrats are more likely than Republicans to say AI is making family life worse, on all four measures we track.
On job security, 81% of Democrats say AI is making it worse, compared to 69% of Republicans. Republicans are more likely to say AI is making families' outlook on the future better, 41% to 23%.
Better or worse, by party
Four parts of life
- Job security
- Children's well-being
- Outlook on the future
- Household finances
Women are more likely than men to say AI is making things worse for children, families' outlook and household finances. The splits are widest on children's well-being: 72% of women to 59% of men (+13 points); and outlook on the future: 63% to 50% (+13 points).
Better or worse, by sex
Three parts of life
- Children's well-being
- Outlook on the future
- Household finances
On job security, college graduates, higher earners and White adults are the most likely to say AI is making it worse. Among graduates, 82% say so, compared to 68% of those with a high school education or less. Among White adults, 78% say so, compared to 63% of Black adults.
Job security, by group
- Job security
Future Scenarios
Younger adults are the most uncertain about the future of AI.
On all four transformative AI scenarios we track, adults under 35 are less likely than older adults to say that the scenarios are likely or already happening. On AI becoming smarter than humans at most tasks, 63% of adults 18 to 34 say so, compared to 77% of those 65 and older.
Unlikely or likely, by age
Four future developments
- AI systems behaving in ways their developers did not intend
- AI becoming smarter than humans at most tasks
- AI being used to create weapons of mass destruction
- AI making major scientific and medical breakthroughs
On losing control of AI systems, expectations are also divided by party, education and race. Among Democrats, 86% say losing control is likely or already happening, compared to 77% of Republicans. Among college graduates it is 87%, compared to 68% of those with a high school education or less (+19 points). Among White adults it is 81%, compared to 71% of Black adults.
Loss-of-control, by group
- AI systems behaving in ways their developers did not intend
Belief that AI is already acting in ways its developers did not intend has grown in both parties since June: among Democrats from 31% to 53% (+22 points) and among Republicans from 24% to 35% (+11 points).
Among Democrats it has been a majority view in the two latest surveys: 54% in late September and 53% in early October.
Loss-of-control: already happening, by party, over time
Democrats and Republicans, with all adults
- AI systems behaving in ways their developers did not intend
Government Action
Democrats, women and older adults are the most likely to call dealing with AI's harms a priority.
Among Democrats, 86% call it a top or important priority, compared to 79% of Republicans (+7 points). Among women, 83% do, compared to 77% of men. Among adults 65 and older, 85% say so, compared to 73% of those 18 to 34.
AI harms as a priority, by group
- Dealing with harms from artificial intelligence (AI)
Still, the parties' gap on AI's harms is small beside their gaps on immigration and climate change: 88% of Republicans call immigration a priority, compared to 64% of Democrats (+24 points), and 89% of Democrats call climate change one, compared to 44% of Republicans (+45 points).
How much of a priority, by party
Three issues
- Dealing with harms from artificial intelligence (AI)
- Dealing with immigration
- Dealing with climate change
Adults 18 to 34 have been more likely to call AI's harms a top priority since Jacob Coxon's resignation. Their share rose from 30% in late August to 43% in early September, and was 38% in late September and 38% in early October (+8 points).
Adults 65 and older have been the most likely to call AI harms a top priority, though the share who say so fell from 52% in late September to 38% in early October.
AI harms as a top priority, by age, over time
The youngest and oldest adults, 18–34 and 65 and over
- Dealing with harms from artificial intelligence (AI)
Democrats are more likely than Republicans to say the government is doing too little about AI, on every issue and in every survey.
On AI's effects on children and young people, 57% of Democrats say too little, compared to 40% of Republicans. On its environmental footprint, 59% of Democrats say the government is doing too little, compared to 32% of Republicans (+27 points).
Too much or too little, by party
Four areas of government action on AI
- AI's effects on children and young people
- AI's environmental footprint, including from data centers
- AI's effects on workers and jobs
- AI's effect on American competitiveness
However, on American competitiveness, both parties are less likely to say the government is doing too little: 37% of Democrats and 28% of Republicans.
On AI's effects on workers and jobs, college graduates, higher earners and White adults are the most likely to say the government is doing too little. Among graduates, 54% say so, compared to 32% of those with a high school education or less (+22 points). Among White adults, 46% say so, compared to 30% of Black adults (+16 points). Those without degrees, lower earners and Black adults are more likely to say it is doing too much, including 33% of Black adults.
Workers and jobs, by group
- AI's effects on workers and jobs
The split is much the same on AI's effects on children and young people and on its environmental footprint.