AI experts and public opinion on the technology increasingly diverge, according to Stanford University Annual report On the artificial intelligence industry, which was Released Monday. In particular, the report noted a growing trend of concern about artificial intelligence and, in the United States, concerns about how the technology will impact key social areas, such as jobs, medical care, and the economy.
The report’s findings come in the wake of growing negative sentiment towards AI, with Generation Z reportedly leading the way In a recent poll conducted by Gallup. The study found that young people were becoming less optimistic and more angry about technology, even though about half of the population were using AI either daily or weekly.
For some in technology, the backlash to AI has come as a surprise. AI leaders have focused on managing… The possibility of artificial general intelligence, or AGI – A theoretical form of artificial superintelligence that can perform any task that a human can do and think of itself. But ordinary people are more concerned about the impact of AI on their salaries and whether or not their energy bills will rise as power-hungry data centers are built.
The division was most evident in the online reaction to the recent attacks on the home of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. in Posts on X For example, AI insiders expressed surprise at a series of comments on Instagram that appeared to praise the attack on Altman’s home. Some of Online comments You have a similar vibe to Those that were circulated online After the United Healthcare CEO was fired in 2024 and more The Kimberly-Clark warehouse recently burned down By a worker angry at not getting a “livable wage” – some comments even going so far as to suggest that more work is needed, revolution-style.
The Stanford report provides more information about where all this negativity is coming from, summarizing data on public sentiment toward AI across various sources.
For example, A Published a report from the Pew Research Center last month, which indicated that only 10% of Americans said they were more excited than concerned about the increasing use of artificial intelligence in daily life. Meanwhile, 56% of AI experts said they believe AI will have a positive impact on the United States over the next 20 years.
Expert opinions and public sentiment have also varied widely in certain areas where AI could have a societal impact. The report’s authors noted that 84% of experts said AI will have a largely positive impact on medical care over the next 20 years, but only 44% of the general U.S. public said the same.
Additionally, a majority of experts (73%) felt positive about the impact of AI on how people do their jobs, compared to only 23% of the public. 69% of experts believed that artificial intelligence will have a positive impact on the economy. grant the Supposed layoffs fueled by Amnesty International and Disturbances to WorkplaceNot surprisingly, only 21% of the public felt the same way.
Other data from the Pew Research Center, cited in the report, indicated that AI experts were less pessimistic about the impact of AI on the job market, while nearly two-thirds of Americans (or 64%) said they believe AI will lead to fewer jobs over the next 20 years.
The United States also reported the lowest level of trust in its government to regulate AI responsibly, compared to other countries, at 31%. Singapore ranked first with 81%, according to data from Ipsos included in the Stanford report.
Another source looked at regulatory concerns on a state-by-state level and concluded that 41% of respondents nationally said federal regulation of AI would not go far enough, while only 27% said it would go “too far.”
Despite the fears and concerns, AI did get one accolade: Globally, the number who feel that AI products and services offer more benefits than drawbacks rose slightly from 55% in 2024 to 59% in 2025.
But at the same time, the percentage of participants who said AI makes them “stressed” rose from 50% to 52% over the same period, according to data cited by the report’s authors.
