Americans still have a complicated relationship with AI

The Ipsos Consumer Tracker asks Americans questions about culture, the economy and the forces that shape our lives. Here's one thing we learned this week.

Why we asked: With the surprise emergence of China’s DeepSeek AI, President Trump’s executive order on AI that reverses some key policies from President Biden, and President Trump’s announcement of a huge AI infrastructure investment from OpenAI, Softbank and Oracle (and Elon Musk’s pooh-poohing of the same), it’s been a big week in AI news.

What we found: The “worry” vs. the “wonder” of AI is the central tension we see in our data about the public reception to all of this new… stuff. A new executive order from President Trump essentially puts policy in the camp of “wonder,” especially in terms of economic opportunity and global competitiveness, by reducing regulatory burdens. President Biden came down more on the side of “worry,” using government levers to exercise some oversight and instill responsibility into development.

Today, the American people also seem split. On one hand, there’s a slight rise in the majority of people saying that AI makes them “nervous” (63%, +4 points since we last asked a year ago.) But despite that (or because of it?), more expect to use AI in the future (63%, +6 points) and more think it will change their lives in the next few years.

Regardless, a large majority (85%) thinks the federal government has a role to play in regulation and oversight. We’re now evenly divided on whether that’s “major” role, which is up a bit since we last asked in in April 2023, or a “minor” role, which is down slightly. 

Speaking all of this, have you read our take on the new Trump administration’s potential impacts on business?

More insights from this wave of the Ipsos Consumer Tracker:

The housing market is crunched, and Americans are feeling it

America’s love for Valentine’s Day is unbending

Most Americans plan to watch the Super Bowl, but many are more excited for the puppy bowl

We know climate change is a thing, but some of us think it’s a good thing?

The Ipsos Care-o-Meter: What does America know about vs. what does America care about