Americans Want AI’s Benefits But Fear Losing What Makes Them Human: Survey – Decrypt
In brief
A new Pew survey showed Americans wanted AI’s help with chores, but feared it wrecked their minds and relationships.
Most Americans said AI stripped away creativity and human connection, with only 10% feeling more excited than worried.
The majority admitted they had no control over AI in their lives—just a digital tide they couldn’t stop.
Americans are growing increasingly uneasy about artificial intelligence infiltrating their daily lives, with half now saying they’re more concerned than excited about the technology—a sharp jump from 37% just four years ago, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.
The study of 5,023 U.S. adults, conducted in June 2025 and published this week, reveals a nation grappling with a fundamental paradox: While 73% say they’d let AI assist with day-to-day tasks, 61% simultaneously want more control over how it’s used in their lives.
Half of U.S. adults say the increased use of AI in daily life makes them feel more concerned than excited, compared with 10% who are more excited than concerned.
However, Americans see AI as both inevitable and threatening to core human capabilities. Some 53% of respondents said AI will worsen people’s ability to think creatively, compared with 16% who say it will improve this. Half believe AI will damage people’s ability to form meaningful relationships, with only 5% expecting improvement in human connections.
“I think a sizable portion of humanity is inclined to seek the path of least resistance,” one woman participating in the study told the researchers. “As annoying and troublesome as hardships and obstacles can be, I believe the experience of encountering these things and overcoming them is essential to forming our character.”
The generational divide shows that the younger the generation, the more exposure to AI they will have in their day-to-day lives. According to the study, 62% of those under 30 say they have heard or read a lot about AI, compared with 32% of those ages 65 and older.
Yet these younger Americans, despite their greater familiarity with the technology, express deeper pessimism about its effects. And 61% of adults under 30 think the increased use of AI in society will make people worse at thinking creatively, compared with 42% of those ages 65 and older.
The American unease mirrors global trends. Stanford’s HAI AI Index Report 2025 confirms that worldwide, ambivalence and worry are increasing even as people appreciate AI’s efficiency gains. The tension is particularly acute in developed nations: In 2022, countries like Great Britain (38%), Germany (37%), and the United States (35%) were among the least likely globally to view AI as having more benefits than drawbacks.
Trust emerges as another critical fault line. While 76% say it’s extremely or very important to be able to tell if pictures, videos, or text were made by AI or people, more than half admit they lack confidence in their ability to actually make that distinction. This trust deficit extends beyond content detection: KPMG’s 2025 Global Trust Report found that confidence in AI companies has been falling steadily since 2022.
Another interesting finding by Pew Research is that 57% of Americans rate the risks of AI for society as high or very high, while only a quarter seems to be hyped about the technology.
When asked to explain their concerns, respondents most frequently cited the erosion of human abilities and connections—people becoming lazy, losing critical thinking skills, or depending too heavily on machines for basic tasks.
This growing wariness contrasts sharply with AI experts surveyed by Pew earlier this year. AI experts are far more likely than Americans overall to believe AI will have a very or somewhat positive impact on the United States over the next 20 years (56% vs. 17%), according to a previous study.
The divide between experts and the public reflects deeper tensions about who benefits from AI advancement. Academic studies show marginalized groups—minorities and people with disabilities—express even more negative views about AI than the general population, suggesting the technology’s benefits aren’t reaching everyone equally.
In other words, the negative effects of AI technologies are perceived more by groups that are affected by biases or stereotypes—which generative AI models tend to amplify.
Americans do see limited roles for AI in specific contexts—weather forecasting, detecting financial crimes, or developing medicines. But they draw firm boundaries around personal matters. Some 73% of respondents said that AI should play no role in advising people about their faith in God, and two-thirds reject AI involvement in judging romantic compatibility.
The regulatory landscape reflects these concerns. A Gallup-SCSP 2025 study found overwhelming support for stricter oversight, with 72% supporting more government efforts to control that industry.
Ultimately, 57% or respondents said they have not too much or absolutely no control in whether AI is used in their lives, which shows that many Americans already feel the technology’s advance is beyond their influence—a digital tide they can neither stop nor fully embrace.
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