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AIActive today · day 2

Gallup survey finds Americans uniquely pessimistic on AI despite heavy use

A 37-country study shows most AI users globally feel optimistic, but the U.S. ranks among the few where negative emotions outweigh positive.

newest coverage 9h agosummary written 15h ago18 pieces18 likes & upvotes2 comments NewswiresMastodonHacker NewsReddit

What to know

  • A new Gallup and Microsoft survey of 37 countries found that most AI users globally feel optimistic about the technology and expect it to improve their countries—but the U.S. is one of only three surveyed where negative emotions outweigh positive.
  • The pessimism appears concentrated in wealthy Western nations, including Canada, the UK, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Ireland, and Malta—a pattern researcher Pablo Diego-Rosell calls a "uniquely Western phenomenon."
  • The survey shows a strong link between frequent AI use and greater trust and lower worry, but researchers cannot establish causality: whether experience builds comfort or whether trusting people are simply more willing to use AI.
  • Globally, 81% of respondents were aware AI tools exist, but only 43% used them daily; those who used AI more frequently tended to trust it more and feel more optimistic about its impact.

“The study, which will ultimately cover 140 countries, measures public engagement with AI across five dimensions. In addition to emotional response, the survey captures awareness, frequency of use, expected impact and trust.”

Gallup and Microsoft study · 404 Media ↗

Gallup research organizationMicrosoft survey partnerPablo Diego-Rosell Senior scientist at Gallup

Gallup survey finds Americans uniquely pessimistic on AI despite heavy use
404media.co

How it unfolded 1 development · click the chart to see its coverage articlesposts

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yesterdaytodaynow · 11:21 PM ET
  1. background

    Researcher highlights unresolved causality question in AI adoption and trust — Diego-Rosell noted that while the survey shows a strong relationship between frequent AI use, greater trust, and lower worry, it cannot establish causality—whether experience with AI builds comfort or whether people who already trust AI are simply more willing to use it.

  2. background

    Gallup researcher identifies worry as 'uniquely Western phenomenon' — Pablo Diego-Rosell, a senior scientist at Gallup, noted that worry about AI appears concentrated in wealthy Western countries including the Netherlands, Canada, the U.K., New Zealand, Ireland, and Malta, while most non-Western countries surveyed showed optimism.

  3. background

    Study finds U.S. unusually pessimistic despite global optimism — Globally, most people surveyed felt positive about AI and expected it to improve their countries, with positive feelings increasing as AI adoption rose. The United States, however, was one of only three countries where negative emotions toward AI outweighed positive ones.

  4. 1

    Gallup and Microsoft release 37-country AI attitudes survey

    A new survey polled 37 countries about public engagement with AI across five dimensions: emotional response, awareness, frequency of use, expected impact, and trust. The study found that 81% of respondents were aware AI tools exist, but only 43% used them daily.

    “Most people in the world who use AI feel good about the technology and believe it will be a net positive for the future, according to a new study from Gallup. This is not the case in the United States, however.”
    — 404 Media reporting on Gallup study · source

Also covered reported alongside — the timeline has no entry for these yet

  1. 2 outlets Americans Fear AI Will Make the World Worse, Love It Anyway

    first by Mastodon, 16h ago · also 404 Media

and 1 smaller piece

What people are saying 2 voices from 1 site · verbatim