Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming part of everyday life in America. People are turning to AI for research, writing, office work, and data analysis more than ever before. But here's the contradiction: the more people use AI, the less they seem to trust it.
According to a recent Quinnipiac University poll of nearly 1,400 Americans, 76 percent said they trust AI rarely or only sometimes, while just 21 percent said they trust it most or almost all of the time. At the same time, the share of Americans who have never used AI dropped from 33 percent in April 2025 to just 27 percent now. In other words, adoption is climbing while confidence is sinking.
Quinnipiac computer science professor Chetan Jaiswal noted that 51 percent of respondents use AI for research, and many also rely on it for writing, work, and data analysis — yet only 21 percent trust what AI produces most of the time. Americans are clearly adopting these tools, but they're doing so out of utility rather than genuine faith.
A Nation More Worried Than Excited
The poll paints a picture of widespread unease. Only 6 percent of Americans said they were very excited about AI, while 62 percent expressed little to no excitement. On the flip side, 80 percent said they were either very concerned or somewhat concerned, with millennials and baby boomers leading in worry and Gen Z close behind.
More than half — 55 percent — believe AI will do more harm than good in their daily lives, compared to just a third who see a net positive. These negative views have grown compared to last year's survey, likely fueled by a year of major tech layoffs, disturbing cases of AI-related psychological harm, and growing concerns over power-hungry data centers straining local energy grids.
Jobs: The Biggest Fear
Employment is where anxiety runs deepest. Seventy percent of Americans now believe AI advancements will reduce job opportunities, while only 7 percent think AI will create more jobs. That pessimism has worsened significantly from last year, when 56 percent predicted job losses and 13 percent expected gains. Gen Z is the most pessimistic generation, with 81 percent foreseeing a decrease in employment opportunities.
The data backs up their fears — entry-level job postings in the United States have fallen 35 percent since 2023. Tech leaders like Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei have openly warned that AI will eliminate jobs on a significant scale.
Professor Tamilla Triantoro pointed out that younger Americans are the most familiar with AI tools yet the least optimistic about the job market. Interestingly, though, only 30 percent of employed Americans fear AI will make their own job obsolete — up from 21 percent last year. So while people worry about the broader labor market, most don't yet picture themselves personally on the losing end.
Demands for Transparency and Regulation
Trust isn't just about AI outputs — it extends to the companies building these tools. Two-thirds of respondents said businesses are not doing enough to be transparent about their AI use, and the same proportion said the government isn't doing enough to regulate AI. This frustration comes at a time when American states are fighting to maintain authority over AI rules, even as the Trump administration has introduced a relatively hands-off federal framework.
Americans also overwhelmingly oppose having AI data centers built in their communities, with 65 percent against, citing concerns about high electricity costs and heavy water usage.
The Bottom Line
Americans are not rejecting AI outright. They're using it, experimenting with it, and integrating it into their workflows. But the message from this poll is unmistakable: there is too much uncertainty, too little trust, too little regulation, and too much fear about what AI means for livelihoods. The future of AI won't be decided by technology alone — it will depend on whether companies and governments can earn back the public's confidence before the gap between adoption and trust becomes impossible to bridge.
