Across party lines, Republican and Democratic voters reject the premise that AI safety is a hoax.
On Tuesday, Americans for Responsible Innovation released new polling showing that Americans are concerned about AI safety and reject the premise that AI risks are a “hoax.” The poll finds that over three-quarters of Americans are concerned that powerful AI systems may act in ways their developers did not intend or cannot control. When asked whether AI safety concerns are a hoax, American voters of every party rejected the idea by a two-to-one margin. The new poll follows comments made by the president last week suggesting that AI safety is a “hoax” and that local opposition to data centers is a “sick conspiracy.”
See the full poll: American voters don’t buy claims that AI safety is a “hoax.”
The poll’s findings include the following:
- Voters say recent AI incidents reveal a real threat—not a hoax. Nearly two-thirds of registered voters (62%) say recent incidents involving AI systems expose a real threat, while 23% say concerns about rogue AI agents are a hoax.
- That view crosses party lines. Majorities of Democrats, Independents, and Republicans say recent AI incidents expose a real threat:
- Democrats: 67% real threat; 23% hoax
- Independents: 63% real threat; 19% hoax
- Republicans: 57% real threat; 25% hoax
- Concern about losing control of powerful AI is widespread. Nearly four in five registered voters (79%) are concerned that powerful AI systems may act in ways their developers did not intend or cannot control.
- Voters reject the characterization of data center opposition as a conspiracy. By a two-to-one margin (56% to 25%), registered voters disagree with President Trump’s claim that opposition to AI data centers is a conspiracy.
- Voters want enforceable federal safety rules. More than two-thirds of registered voters (69%) agree that the federal government should establish binding rules requiring AI companies to ensure their systems are safe and do not harm American families and communities.
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Americans for Responsible Innovation (ARI) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to policy advocacy in the public interest, focused on emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI). Learn more at ARI.us.