--- title: "The More People Learn About AI, the More They Want It Out of Their Lives" description: "America's familiarity with AI is growing, coinciding with a rise in negative sentiment around the technology and the data centers fueling it." date: "2026-08-01" modified: "2026-08-01" authors: - name: "Joe Wilkins" job_title: "Correspondent" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jwilkins" url: "https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/ai-learn-negative-sentiment-polling-american-attitudes" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" - "Ethics" --- # The More People Learn About AI, the More They Want It Out of Their Lives ![A color-treated photo of a man holding up his hands.]() *Shutterstock / Futurism* For a time, it appeared as if AI would find broad acceptance among the American masses. The peanut gallery on social media [happily embraced]() early image generation models as researchers appeared to make [significant breakthroughs]() with the aid of their newfound tools. On paper, surveys found public attitudes toward the tech continued to improve into 2025 — before sharply reversing. In 2026, America's honeymoon phase with AI seems to be quickly wearing off. According to a [joint poll]() conducted by Bentley University and Gallup, the percentage of US adults who think AI does "more harm than good" is rising, from 31 percent in 2025 to 39 percent this year, while a piddling 9 percent still think the tech does "more good than harm." As outlooks sour, the Bentley-Gallup poll found that Americans' familiarity with AI continues to grow. In 2026, 70 percent of those polled said they're "somewhat or extremely knowledgeable" about AI, up 6 percent compared to 2024. The implication probably gives OpenAI Sam Altman a migraine: the more people learn about AI, the less they seem to want it in their lives. Meanwhile, Americans are increasingly wary about data centers, with a recent [Politico survey]() finding that 41 percent of US adults would oppose a data center being built within three miles of their home, up drastically from 28 percent in January. At the same time, the volume of support for data centers plummeted, down 13 percent over the past six months alone. Speaking [to *Bloomberg*]() about the rising aversion to AI, professor of ethics at Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business Derek Leben said the attitude is increasingly taking root along social lines. Not only do AI haters dislike the tech in their own personal sphere, but they're increasingly scrutinizing their friends, family, and coworkers about their attitudes. "The most obvious social effect is suspicion," Leben told *Bloomberg*. "There is also a moral and political judgment that is coming along with AI usage, especially in creative industries where the stigma is the strongest." Carla Milan, a 37-year-old public health professional in New York City, told the publication she's frustrated that family and friends deploy AI reflexively, without considering its social or environmental costs. "I hear people champion AI and I'm like, 'sure, why don't we all participate in our collective downfall?'" Milan told *Bloomberg*. "Why don't we all play a part in diminishing our humanity and degrading the environment?" **More on AI:** *[Meta Working on Crushingly Sad AI App That Tells Bedtime Stories to Children, for "Tired" Parents]()* ## Author At Futurism, I focus on the intersection of technology and power — examining the economics, history, and politics behind today’s dystopian headlines. As a writer, I’m interested in topics ranging from AI’s impact on labor to startups nobody asked for. My prior work includes bylines in Jacobin, Verso, and Blue Labyrinths. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Forbes, The Guardian, MIT Technology Review, Time, The Nation, Mother Jones, The Verge, and Wired. I grew up in Michigan, attending Central Michigan University as well as Ball State University, where I earned a master of music. I now live in Brooklyn with my girlfriend and our cat Ziti. On weekends, you can find me hunched over a cold pint arguing geopolitics with the other transplants. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()