Gallup AI poll finds Americans grow more skeptical as familiarity rises
Gallup says Americans know more about AI than before, but more now expect job losses and distrust businesses using it.
By Dev Ramirez · Crypto Correspondent
· 3 min read
The latest Gallup AI poll shows a tougher public mood around artificial intelligence, or AI, even as more Americans say they understand the technology. For investors watching companies spend heavily on AI, the finding points to a gap between adoption and public confidence.
Gallup said Tuesday that 70% of Americans now describe themselves as somewhat or extremely knowledgeable about AI, compared with 64% in 2024. The polling company said that greater familiarity has not translated into warmer views: more respondents now say AI causes more harm than good, expect it to cut U.S. jobs and trust businesses less to use it responsibly.
What did the Gallup AI poll find?
Gallup reported that 39% of Americans now say AI does more harm than good, up from 31% in 2025. Another 52% said AI does about equal amounts of good and harm, while 9% said it does more good than harm.
The shift was sharpest among younger adults. Gallup said nearly half of adults ages 18 to 29 now say AI does more harm than good, compared with 36% last year. The firm said that group also showed more skepticism about AI’s broad impact, how businesses use it and what it could mean for employment.
Trust in companies also slipped. Gallup found that 27% of Americans trust businesses at least “some” to use AI responsibly, down from 31% in 2025. Among adults ages 18 to 29, that share fell from 30% to 20%. In the same age group, the share saying they have no trust at all rose from 29% to 41%.
Why are jobs central to AI concerns?
AI can automate or speed up some tasks, which is why workers and consumers often connect the technology with employment risk. Gallup said 79% of Americans now expect AI to reduce the number of U.S. jobs over the next decade, up from 73% in 2025.
The expectation of job losses increased across age groups cited by Gallup. Among adults ages 18 to 29, the share expecting fewer jobs rose from 62% to 75%. Among adults ages 45 to 59, it increased from 75% to 84%.
Gallup also found that Americans increasingly see AI as performing about as well as humans on tasks including driving, giving financial advice and giving medical advice. Still, respondents rated people above AI in every measured category, including hiring decisions, creative work and helping students with schoolwork.
Other surveys show similar unease
Gallup’s report adds to earlier polling showing that Americans are using AI tools while remaining cautious about them. An NBC News poll in March found that 56% of Americans had recently used tools such as ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot or Google Gemini, while 57% said AI’s risks outweigh its benefits.
In June, Anthropic said a survey of nearly 52,000 Americans found job losses were the top AI concern across every state and political party. Anthropic also reported that 15% of respondents said they trust AI companies to make decisions about how the technology is developed and used.
The takeaway from Gallup’s report is direct: knowing more about AI has not made Americans more comfortable with it. Public trust, job fears and expectations for responsible business use remain central hurdles as AI becomes more common in daily life and corporate products.
This story draws on original reporting from Decrypt.
