A recent Pew Research Center survey shows that the American public remains generally cautious about the long-term societal impact of artificial intelligence. Although AI tools have become more frequent in daily life, relatively few people are optimistic about their future role, with more respondents offering neutral or negative assessments.
A survey found that only 16% of Americans believe AI will have a positive impact on society over the next 20 years, while about 40% think it will have a negative impact. Meanwhile, 67% do not trust the U.S. government to regulate AI effectively, and 59% do not trust companies to develop the technology safely.
Most people believe AI is developing too quickly.
In addition to a generally negative long-term outlook, nearly two-thirds of respondents indicated that the pace of AI development is too fast, suggesting that while the public has already engaged with and used related products, they still lack confidence in its rate of expansion and governance capabilities.
Younger generations are not more optimistic either. The survey found that only 14% of Americans under 30 believe AI will have a positive impact on society—a result that contradicts the common perception that younger people are more receptive to new technologies.
ChatGPT usage continues to rise
Although cautious in attitude, the practical use of AI tools continues to expand. About a quarter of Americans say they use AI chatbots daily, primarily for research or work-related tasks.
In terms of specific products, ChatGPT remains the most commonly used tool. Pew reports that 44% of U.S. adults say they have used OpenAI’s chatbot, more than doubling since 2023.
- About one-quarter of Americans use AI chatbots daily.
- 44% of U.S. adults say they have used ChatGPT.
- Sixty percent of respondents said they read AI-generated online summaries.
Use expansion, but differentiation remains clear.
The survey also revealed significant differences in AI usage across different demographics. Men overall use AI more frequently than women and are more willing to express positive attitudes toward it. Although the proportion of men and women using ChatGPT is similar, men are more likely to engage with other AI tools such as Copilot and Grok.
The age gap is also pronounced. About half of Americans still say they do not use AI in their daily lives. Non-users are more concentrated among older populations, while those under 50 are more likely to report using AI tools. Nearly 75% of Americans aged 65 and older say they never use AI chatbots.
For respondents who do not use chatbots, the most common reason is "lack of interest," and most indicated they have no plans to use them in the future.