Public opinions about AI experts and the technology are becoming increasingly diverse, according to Stanford University’s AI Industry Annual Report released Monday. In particular, the report pointed to a growing trend of anxiety surrounding AI, with the United States expressing concerns about how the technology will impact key areas of society, including jobs, healthcare, and the economy.
A recent Gallup poll found that Generation Z is leading the way as negative sentiment toward AI grows, the report found. Research shows that young people are becoming less hopeful and more angry about the technology, despite about half of the population using AI on a daily or weekly basis.
For some people in technology, the AI backlash has come as a surprise. AI leaders have focused on managing the potential of artificial general intelligence (AGI), a theoretical form of AI superintelligence that can perform any task that humans can do and think of on their own. But everyday people are more concerned about the impact AI will have on their salaries and whether their power bills will rise as energy-guzzling data centers are built.
This gap was most evident in the online reaction to the recent attack on the home of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. For example, in X’s post, AI insiders expressed surprise at a series of Instagram comments that appeared to praise the attack on Altman’s home. Some of the online comments have a similar tone to those circulated online following the 2024 shooting of the CEO of United Healthcare and the recent arson of a Kimberly-Clark warehouse by employees angry about not being paid a “livable wage.” Some comments even go so far as to suggest that more revolution-like action is needed.
Stanford’s report provides more insight into where all these negative thoughts are coming from by summarizing data on public sentiment toward AI across a variety of sources.
For example, a Pew Research report released last month found that only 10% of Americans said they were more excited than worried about the increased use of AI in their daily lives. Meanwhile, 56% of AI experts said they believe AI will have a positive impact on the United States over the next 20 years.
Even in certain areas where AI can have a social impact, expert opinions and public opinion were greatly divided. The report authors found that while 84% of experts said AI will have a significant positive impact on healthcare over the next 20 years, only 44% of the general U.S. public said the same.
Additionally, the majority of experts (73%) feel positively about the impact AI will have on the way people do their jobs, compared to only 23% of the general public. And 69% of experts think AI will have a positive impact on the economy. Given the layoffs and workplace disruptions caused by AI, it is not surprising that only 21% of the public felt similarly.
Other data from Pew Research cited in the report found that AI experts are less pessimistic about the impact of AI on the job market, with nearly two-thirds (64%) of Americans saying they believe AI will lead to job losses over the next 20 years.
Additionally, the United States reported the lowest level of trust in its government to responsibly regulate AI compared to other countries, at 31%. Singapore ranked highest at 81%, according to data from Ipsos in the Stanford report.
Another source surveyed regulatory concerns by state and found that nationally, 41% of respondents said federal AI regulation would not go far enough, while only 27% said it would “go too far.”
Despite fears and concerns, AI has one accolade: Globally, the number of people who feel that AI products and services offer more benefits than drawbacks increased slightly from 55% in 2024 to 59% in 2025.
But at the same time, the number of respondents who say AI makes them “uneasy” increased from 50% to 52% over the same period, according to data cited by the report’s authors.
