Even as artificial intelligence continues to reshape the economy—this summer has been marked by a surge of AI-related IPOs, with the public along for the ride—a new study from Pew Research reveals that most Americans remain unenthusiastic about the technology’s long-term effects on the country. While a growing number of people incorporate AI into their daily routines, the majority hold neutral or negative views. According to Pew, only 16% of Americans believe AI will have a positive impact on society over the next two decades, while roughly 40% expect a negative outcome. Furthermore, 67% of respondents doubt that the U.S. government will take meaningful steps to regulate AI, and 59% distrust companies to develop it safely.

Younger adults, particularly those under 30, express the most pessimism. Pew notes that just 14% of this age group think AI will benefit society. Additionally, nearly two-thirds of Americans feel that AI is advancing too quickly. Despite this widespread skepticism, a significant portion of the population reports using AI more frequently. About one-quarter of Americans say they use AI chatbots on a daily basis, primarily for research or work-related tasks.

ChatGPT dominates the chatbot landscape. Pew reports that 44% of U.S. adults now use OpenAI’s tool, a figure that has more than doubled since 2023. Other chatbots trail behind: Google’s Gemini (24%), Microsoft’s Copilot (17%), MetaAI (14%), Grok (8%), Claude (6%), and Character.ai (3%). There is also a notable gender divide. While chatbot adoption is rising for both men and women, men are more frequent users and more enthusiastic, whereas women tend to be more skeptical. Specifically, 27% of men use AI chatbots daily compared to 20% of women. Although equal shares of men and women use ChatGPT, men are more likely to use other brands like Copilot and Grok.

The report also examines how AI is altering information consumption. Six in ten respondents say they regularly read AI-generated internet summaries—which have become nearly unavoidable on platforms like Google. A smaller number use AI for fitness and diet advice. Still, about half of Americans say they do not use AI in their daily lives. Non-users tend to be older: nearly 75% of those aged 65 and above say they never use AI chatbots. These individuals often cite a lack of interest and have no plans to start using them in the future.