HAMDEN – A national poll of adults conducted in collaboration with the Quinnipiac University School of Computing & Engineering and the Quinnipiac University School of Business finds that as Americans use AI more, they see more harm than good. That especially goes for when it comes to Artificial intelligence’s impact on their daily lives and education and its impact on health care.
The skepticism about the technology is reflected in how Americans view AI’s use in the workforce, politics and the military. At the same time, a majority of Americans are voicing opposition to the building of an AI data center in their community.
• Thirty-five percent of Americans are either very or somewhat excited about AI, while 80% are either very or somewhat concerned about AI.
• Thirty-four percent of Americans think AI will do more good than harm in their day-to-day lives. Fifty-five percent think AI will do more harm than good in their day-to-day lives, up from 44% in Quinnipiac University’s April 2025 poll.
• Twenty-seven percent of Americans think AI will do more good than harm when it comes to education. Sixty-four percent think AI will do more harm than good, an increase from 54% in April 2025.
• Americans are mixed on AI’s impact on health care, as 43% think AI will do more good than harm and 45% think AI will do more harm than good.
Seventy percent of Americans think advancements in AI are likely to lead to a decrease in the number of job opportunities for people; that’s a 14-point jump from April 2025 when it was 56%. In today’s poll, 7% think advancements in AI are likely to lead to an increase in job opportunities for people and 18% think advancements in AI will not make much of a difference.
Eighty-one percent of Gen Z Americans think advancements in AI will likely lead to a decrease in the number of job opportunities for people.
A slight majority of Americans (51%) oppose the military using AI to select military targets, while 36% support it.
When it comes to the military using AI in surveillance for security purposes, Americans are split, with 45% supporting it and 44% opposing it.
Other key findings
• Seventy-six percent of Americans think that businesses are not doing enough to be transparent about their use of AI, while 12% think businesses are doing enough.
• Seventy-four percent of Americans think the government is not doing enough to regulate the use of AI, while 13% think the government is doing enough.
• Nearly two-thirds of Americans (65 percent) oppose the building of an AI data center in their community, while 24% support the building of an AI data center in their community.
“Americans are not rejecting AI outright, but they are sending a warning. Too much uncertainty, too little trust, too little regulation, and too much fear about jobs,” said Chetan Jaiswal, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Computer Science and Associate Chair, Department of Computing, Quinnipiac University School of Computing and Engineering.
Jobs outlook
Seventy percent of Americans think advancements in AI are likely to lead to a decrease in the number of job opportunities for people, 7% think they are likely to lead to an increase, and 18% think advancements in AI will not make much of a difference.
“Younger Americans report the highest familiarity with AI tools, but they are also the least optimistic about the labor market. AI fluency and optimism here are moving in opposite directions,”said Tamilla Triantoro, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Business Analytics and Information Systems, Quinnipiac University School of Business.
In April 2025, 56% of Americans thought advancements in AI were likely to lead to a decrease in the number of job opportunities for people, 13% thought they were likely to lead to an increase, and 24% thought advancements in AI would not make much of a difference.
In today’s poll, there are differences between age groups regarding how Americans think advancements in AI are likely to affect the number of job opportunities for people:
• Gen Z (1997 – 2008): decrease (81%), increase (4%), and not make much of a difference (12%)
• Millennials (1981 – 1996): decrease (71%), increase (6%), and not make much of a difference (20%)
• Gen X (1965 – 1980): decrease (67%), increase (7%), and not make much of a difference (20%)
• Baby Boomers (1946 – 1964): decrease (66%), increase (10%), and not make much of a difference (20%);
• Silent Generation (1928 – 1945): decrease (57%), increase (13%), and not make much of a difference (20%).
The poll was taken by Quinnipiac University by surveying 1,397 U.S. adults nationwide from March 19-23 with a margin of error of +/- 3.3 percentage points, including the design effect. The survey included 800 employed adults with a margin of error of +/- 4.3 percentage points, including the design effect.
