--- title: "Almost Three Quarters of Americans Distrust Artificial Intelligence" description: "Shocker: people aren't quite sure that they trust artificial intelligence to operate in their best interests, per a new poll. " date: "2023-02-12" modified: "2023-02-12" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/poll-americans-distrust-ai" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" tags: - "ai" - "deepfakes" - "polling" - "the digest" --- # Almost Three Quarters of Americans Distrust Artificial Intelligence ![Shocker: people aren't quite sure that they trust artificial intelligence to operate in their best interests, per a new poll. ]() *\Image: Getty/Futurism\* ## Concerned Citizens Shocker: people aren't quite sure that they trust artificial intelligence to [operate in their best interests](), per a new poll. In a [press release](), the think tank MITRE released the results of a new poll, conducted in tandem with the marketing research firm Harris, that asked people their opinions about AI. Spoiler alert: they lowkey hate it! "Most Americans express reservations about AI for high-value applications such as autonomous vehicles, accessing government benefits, or healthcare," the press release reads. "Moreover, only 48 percent believe AI is safe and secure, and 78 percent are very or somewhat concerned that AI can be used for malicious intent." ## Regulate Me In the polling, Harris and MITRE found that 82 percent of its American respondents support government regulation of AI — and when questions about regulation were posed to tech experts, a whopping 91 percent said they're for it. Among the online poll's 2,050 adult respondents, just under half said they would feel comfortable using AI-assisted tech for routine medical questions or government benefit forms, and three-fourths said they're specifically concerned about deepfakes and AI-generated content entering mainstream media. While respondents generally seemed suspicious of AI, the press release notes that specific demographics expressed a more favorable opinion than others. "Men, Democrats, younger generations, and Black/Hispanic Americans... are more comfortable than their counterparts with the use of AI for federal government benefits processing, online doctor bots, and autonomous, unmanned rideshare vehicles," explained Rob Jekielek, Harris Poll's managing director. All the same, Kekielek said that "there remains concern about AI across all demographic groups" — a finding that suggests that even early AI adopters might be freaked out by its future. ## Pollster Politics One of perhaps the biggest caveats of this polling is that, per its own admission, MITRE seems to be all-in on AI. "Artificial intelligence technology and frameworks could radically boost efficiency and productivity in many fields," MITRE engineering and prototyping vice president Douglas Robbins said in the press release. Later in the statement, the organization said that it's "collaborating with partners throughout the AI ecosystem to enable responsible pioneering in AI to better impact society." **More on AI:** [*Microsoft Is Apparently Discussing ChatGPT's Bizarre Alternate Personality*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()