---
title: "Just 41 Percent of Americans Support Advancing AI"
description: "A survey on AI development reveals that less than half of Americans are in support of the technology's advancement, worrying experts."
date: "2019-01-11"
modified: "2019-01-11"
authors:
  - name: "Kristin Houser"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/kristin"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/ai-development-americans-support"
categories:
  - "Artificial Intelligence"
tags:
  - "artificial inteligence"
  - "public opinion"
  - "the digest"
---

# Just 41 Percent of Americans Support Advancing AI

![A survey on AI development reveals that less than half of Americans are in support of the technology's advancement, worrying experts.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/ai-development-americans-support.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: TheDigitalArtist/Victor Tangermann\</em\>*

## Split Decision

The United States is a nation divided.

In June, public opinion and data company YouGov surveyed 2,000 Americans to gauge their feelings about artificial intelligence (AI).

According to the [newly released results](<https://governanceai.github.io/US-Public-Opinion-Report-Jan-2019/general-attitudes-toward-ai.html#subsecsupportai>) of that survey, just 41 percent of Americans "somewhat support" or "strongly support" the advancement of AI. And experts fear that lack of consensus — combined with a lack of faith in AI developers — could prevent the tech from reaching its potential.

## No Faith

YouGov conducted the survey on AI development on behalf of the University of Oxford's [Center for the Governance of AI](<https://www.fhi.ox.ac.uk/governance-ai-program/>), a research institute focused on guiding AI development in a way that maximizes the benefits for humanity while minimizing the risks.

In addition to asking whether respondents supported AI development, the survey also included questions designed to gauge their [trust](<https://futurism.com/trust-artificial-intelligence-ibm>) in various AI developers. The U.S. military and university researchers emerged as the most trusted and Facebook as the least. But according to a [press release](<https://www.fhi.ox.ac.uk/aipublic2019/>) statement by Center director Allan Dafoe, there "is no organisation that is highly trusted to develop AI in the public interest."

## Win Them Over

With less than half of Americans in favor of AI development and no single organization emerging as a trusted leader in the field, the AI community could have a tough time drumming up the support it needs to realize AI's potential

"It's in the public interest to build AI well, but everyone has to be convinced," Dafoe [told *Axios*](<https://www.axios.com/artificial-intelligence-development-survey-3b63fe89-3809-4de8-a05f-9e0cc1fdbc7b.html>). "Consensus isn't there, and there's a real risk that there could be a political backlash against the development and deployment of AI."

As he noted in the news release, "The public’s support for the development of AI cannot be taken for granted."

**READ MORE:** [America Is Split Over Advancing Artificial Intelligence](<https://www.axios.com/artificial-intelligence-development-survey-3b63fe89-3809-4de8-a05f-9e0cc1fdbc7b.html>) \[*Axios*\]

***More on AI: [To Build Trust in Artificial Intelligence, IBM Wants Developers to Prove Their Algorithms Are Fair](<https://futurism.com/trust-artificial-intelligence-ibm>)***

### Author social links  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinjhouser>)