Americans are increasingly knowledgeable about artificial intelligence, yet their comfort and trust in the technology have diminished, according to a new report from Gallup. This shift in sentiment coincides with a rise in the belief that AI causes more harm than good and growing expectations of job losses, with younger adults exhibiting a particularly pronounced increase in skepticism.
Published Tuesday, the Gallup report reveals that 70% of Americans now consider themselves at least somewhat knowledgeable about AI, up from 64% in 2024. However, this growing familiarity has not fostered greater confidence. The proportion of Americans who believe AI does more harm than good has climbed to 39%, an increase from 31% in 2025. Conversely, only 9% believe AI does more good than harm, while 52% perceive an equal balance of harm and good.
The trend is particularly pronounced among younger adults. Nearly half of those aged 18 to 29 now state that AI does more harm than good, a significant jump from 36% last year. This demographic also shows a steeper decline in trust towards businesses using AI responsibly. Currently, 20% of adults aged 18 to 29 trust businesses at least “some” to use AI responsibly, down from 30% previously. The percentage of this age group with no trust at all in businesses to use AI responsibly has increased from 29% to 41%.
Concerns about AI’s impact on employment are widespread. Nearly eight in 10 Americans, or 79%, now believe AI will reduce the number of U.S. jobs over the next decade, an increase from 73% in 2025. This expectation is higher among younger adults, with 75% anticipating job losses, up from 62% previously. Adults aged 45 to 59 also show a significant increase in this concern, with 84% expecting job losses, up from 75% previously.
Overall trust in businesses to use AI responsibly has declined across the population. Currently, 27% of Americans express at least “some” trust in businesses to use AI responsibly, down from 31% in 2025.
Gallup’s findings align with other recent surveys highlighting public unease with AI, even as its use becomes more common. A March NBC News poll found that 56% of Americans had recently used AI tools such as ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, or Google Gemini. Despite this familiarity, 57% of respondents in that poll felt the technology’s risks outweighed its benefits.
Further underscoring public concerns, an Anthropic survey conducted in June found that job losses were the primary concern regarding AI across all states and political parties. This survey also indicated a low level of trust in AI companies, with only 15% of respondents trusting them to make decisions about the technology’s development and use.
Gallup also noted that Americans increasingly perceive AI as performing comparably to humans on tasks like driving, financial advice, and medical advice. However, people are still rated higher than AI across all measured categories, including hiring, creative work, and academic assistance.
The report does not specify the exact year for “last year” or “previous” in relation to the current report’s publication date, and the precise definition of “harm” and “good” as perceived by Americans regarding AI remains open to interpretation. It is also uncertain whether these trends in AI sentiment will continue or reverse.
Why This Matters
The materials describe a narrow update: A Gallup report indicates that while more Americans feel knowledgeable about AI, a greater proportion now believe it causes more harm than good, expect it to reduce jobs, and trust businesses less to use it responsibly. The exact year for ‘last year’ and ‘previous’ in relation to the current report.
Broader Context
Source materials place the factual news in this context: In a report published Tuesday, polling company Gallup said Americans are cooling toward artificial intelligence after two years of growing more comfortable with the technology.
