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New biweekly survey finds Americans more concerned than excited about AI’s growing role
The Apex Times

THE APEX TIMES

Politics/The Apex Times/Jul 7, 6:04 AM EDT

New biweekly survey finds Americans more concerned than excited about AI’s growing role

In a poll administered by Athena Insights, respondents expressed far more concern than excitement about artificial intelligence, and most said the government is not doing enough.

2 min readEditor-approved Apex article

Americans’ views on artificial intelligence skew toward concern rather than enthusiasm, according to a new biweekly public opinion survey released to The Hill by Athena Insights.

The “Americans on AI” poll, conducted among 1,814 participants, asked respondents how they felt about AI’s growing role in society. Among respondents, 28 percent said they were “very concerned” and 37 percent said they were “somewhat concerned,” while 6 percent said they were “very excited” and 18 percent said they were “somewhat excited.” Only 1 percent declined to answer, and 9 percent said the available response options did not match their feelings.

The survey is designed to track changes in public sentiment over time rather than serve as a one-time snapshot, Athena Insights research lead Colin Hyatt Bortner told The Hill. The organization plans to administer the poll every other week for the next year, measuring whether views shift as AI becomes more embedded in daily life.

Bortner said the survey instrument was intended to be neutral, in part so that any negative impacts people perceive would show up in the results and inform a policy response. He also said the poll includes questions about potential benefits, including whether respondents believe AI will help medical and scientific advances or improve healthcare.

The report described similar patterns across political parties, even as lawmakers in Washington have differed on how to address AI. The survey results therefore indicate that concern is not confined to a single partisan group, at least at the time of the poll.

According to The Hill, the poll also found that many respondents believe the government is not doing enough regarding AI. The article did not provide additional subgroup breakdowns or specific policy proposals in its description of the findings.

With the biweekly timeline, the survey is positioned to become a recurring measure of how Americans evaluate AI over time, including whether concern rises or falls as regulators and federal agencies continue shaping approaches to AI governance.

Future installments will determine whether the early imbalance between concern and excitement changes as new AI uses reach consumers and as public policy debates continue over safety, oversight, and the pace of deployment.

Why It Matters

  • The survey’s recurring schedule could provide a time series that may influence how policymakers track and prioritize public concerns about AI.
  • The large gap between concern and excitement highlights the likelihood that public risk perceptions, not enthusiasm, will be central to future AI oversight discussions.
  • Because results were reported as similar across party lines, AI governance proposals may face broad public expectations rather than purely partisan pressure.
  • The poll’s focus on both risks and potential benefits may affect how government and industry stakeholders frame safety and performance goals.
  • If the government is viewed as “not doing enough,” agencies and lawmakers may face additional scrutiny over the scope and pace of AI-related regulation and guidance.

Sources

Key Facts

  • Athena Insights released results of the “Americans on AI” biweekly survey to The Hill.
  • The poll included 1,814 participants and asked how respondents felt about AI’s growing role in society.
  • Responses for concern were 28% “very concerned” and 37% “somewhat concerned,” compared with 6% “very excited” and 18% “somewhat excited.”
  • Athena Insights said the survey will be administered every other week for the next year to measure changes in public opinion over time.
  • Athena Insights research lead Colin Hyatt Bortner said the survey was designed to be neutral and include both perceived risks and potential benefits.
  • The Hill reported that results were similar across political parties and that many respondents said the government is not doing enough on AI.