<p id="speakable-summary" class="wp-block-paragraph">AI experts and the public’s opinion on the technology are increasingly diverging, <a href="https://hai.stanford.edu/ai-index/2026-ai-index-report/public-opinion" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">according to</a> Stanford University’s <a href="https://hai.stanford.edu/ai-index/2026-ai-index-report/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">annual report</a> on the AI industry, which was <a href="https://hai.stanford.edu/news/inside-the-ai-index-12-takeaways-from-the-2026-report?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">released</a> Monday. In particular, the report noted a growing trend of anxiety around AI and, in the U.S., concerns about how the technology will impact key societal areas, such as jobs, medical care, and the economy.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The report’s findings follow growing negative sentiment about AI, with Gen Z reportedly leading the way, according <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/09/style/gen-z-ai-gallup-study.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">to a recent Gallup poll</a>. The study found that young people were growing less hopeful and more angry about the technology, even though <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/30/ai-trust-adoption-poll-more-americans-adopt-tools-fewer-say-they-can-trust-the-results/">around half</a> of the demographic was using AI either daily or weekly.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">For some working in tech, the AI backlash has come as a surprise. AI leaders have focused on managing the <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-close-are-todays-ai-models-to-agi-and-to-self-improving-into/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">possibility of Artificial General Intelligence, or AGI </a> — a theoretical form of AI superintelligence that could perform any task a human could do and think for itself. But everyday folks are more concerned about AI’s impact on their paycheck and whether or not their power bills will go up <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2026/02/25/the-public-opposition-to-ai-infrastructure-is-heating-up/">as energy-hungry data centers are built</a>.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The divide has been most apparent in the online reaction to the <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/11/sam-altman-responds-to-incendiary-new-yorker-article-after-attack-on-his-home/">recent attacks</a> on OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s home. In <a href="https://x.com/paularambles/status/2043469888019480671" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">posts on X </a>, for instance, AI insiders voiced surprise at a series of Instagram comments that seemed to praise the attack on Altman’s home. Some of the <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@nbcnews/video/7626668754662903053" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">online comments</a> have a similar vibe to <a href="https://www.usermag.co/p/yes-we-want-insurance-executives" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">those that circulated online</a> after the shooting of the United Healthcare CEO in 2024 and the more <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/economy/policy/articles/worker-said-wasn-t-paid-104500107.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">recent burning of a Kimberly-Clark warehouse</a> by a worker angry about not receiving a “livable wage” — with some comments even going so far as to suggest that even more action, akin to a revolution, is needed.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Stanford’s report provides more insight into where all this negativity is coming from, as it summarizes data around public sentiment of AI across various sources. </p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">For instance, it pointed to a <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/03/12/key-findings-about-how-americans-view-artificial-intelligence/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">report from Pew Research published</a> last month, which noted that only 10% of Americans said they were more excited than concerned about the increased use of AI in daily life. Meanwhile, 56% of AI experts said they believed AI would have a positive impact on the U.S. over the next 20 years.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Expert opinion and public sentiment also greatly diverged in particular areas where AI could have a societal impact. Indeed, 84% of experts, the report authors noted, said that AI would have a largely positive impact on medical care over the next 20 years, but only 44% of the U.S. general public said the same.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Plus, a majority (73%) of experts felt positive about AI’s impact on how people do their jobs, compared with just 23% of the public. And 69% of experts felt that AI would have a positive impact on the economy. <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/31/oracle-layoffs-ai-spending.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">Given</a> the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cde5y2x51y8o" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">supposed AI-fueled layoffs</a> and <a href="https://hub.jhu.edu/2026/02/23/will-ai-make-human-workers-obsolete/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">disruptions</a> to the <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/technology/5826742-ai-workplace-impact-survey-americans/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">workplace</a>, it’s not surprising that only 21% of the public felt similarly.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Other data from Pew Research, cited by the report, noted that AI experts were less pessimistic on AI’s impact on the job market, while nearly two-thirds of Americans (or 64%) said they think AI will lead to fewer jobs over the next 20 years.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The U.S. also reported the lowest trust in its government to regulate AI responsibly, compared with other nations, at 31%. Singapore ranked highest at 81%, per data pulled from Ipsos found in Stanford’s report. </p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Another source looked at regulation concerns on a state-by-state level and concluded that, nationwide, 41% of respondents said federal AI regulation will not go far enough, while only 27% said it would go “too far.” </p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Despite the fears and concerns, AI did get one accolade: Globally, those who feel like AI products and services offer more benefits than drawbacks slightly rose from 55% in 2024 to 59% in 2025. </p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">But at the same time, those respondents who said that AI makes them “nervous” grew from 50% to 52% during the same period, per data cited by the report’s authors. </p>
© 2026 Winzheng.com 赢政天下 | 转载请注明来源并附原文链接