A new Pew Research Center survey suggests only 16% of Americans—just under 1 in 6—believe AI will have a positive impact on society over the next 20 years. Around 40% explicitly anticipate a negative impact, while the rest either expect a mixed outcome or say they are not sure.
The survey covered more than 5,000 US adults and reflects views at a time when AI tools have become common across search, productivity apps, and creative work. In the first half of 2026, nearly 150,000 people were laid off while their former employers continued to pour money into AI.
But despite reporting that they use AI chatbots, many of Pew’s respondents said they were concerned about where the technology is heading. People often cited job losses, misinformation, privacy and security risks, and the erosion of human agency and control as reasons to doubt that AI will help society overall. Some felt more optimistic about the use of data-heavy analytical AI, but only if humans maintained authority over its implementations.
Pew’s findings reveal a significant gap between the growing use of AI in daily life and public confidence in its long‑term benefits. Younger adults tend to use AI tools more often, but even they hold little optimism about AI’s impact on society. People with higher education or income levels show slightly more positive views, but their concerns about potential negative impacts surface far more easily.
