New biweekly survey finds Americans more concerned than excited about AI’s growing role

Americans’ views on artificial intelligence skew toward concern rather than enthusiasm, according to a new biweekly public opinion survey released to The Hill by Athena Insights.

The “Americans on AI” poll, conducted among 1,814 participants, asked respondents how they felt about AI’s growing role in society. Among respondents, 28 percent said they were “very concerned” and 37 percent said they were “somewhat concerned,” while 6 percent said they were “very excited” and 18 percent said they were “somewhat excited.” Only 1 percent declined to answer, and 9 percent said the available response options did not match their feelings.

The survey is designed to track changes in public sentiment over time rather than serve as a one-time snapshot, Athena Insights research lead Colin Hyatt Bortner told The Hill. The organization plans to administer the poll every other week for the next year, measuring whether views shift as AI becomes more embedded in daily life.

Bortner said the survey instrument was intended to be neutral, in part so that any negative impacts people perceive would show up in the results and inform a policy response. He also said the poll includes questions about potential benefits, including whether respondents believe AI will help medical and scientific advances or improve healthcare.

The report described similar patterns across political parties, even as lawmakers in Washington have differed on how to address AI. The survey results therefore indicate that concern is not confined to a single partisan group, at least at the time of the poll.

According to The Hill, the poll also found that many respondents believe the government is not doing enough regarding AI. The article did not provide additional subgroup breakdowns or specific policy proposals in its description of the findings.

With the biweekly timeline, the survey is positioned to become a recurring measure of how Americans evaluate AI over time, including whether concern rises or falls as regulators and federal agencies continue shaping approaches to AI governance.

Future installments will determine whether the early imbalance between concern and excitement changes as new AI uses reach consumers and as public policy debates continue over safety, oversight, and the pace of deployment.