20+ AI Public Perception Statistics (2026)

of US adults say AI in daily life makes them more concerned than excited

Up from 37% when Pew first asked in 2021. Just 10% say they are more excited than concerned; 38% are equally concerned and excited.

median share across 25 countries who are mainly excited about AI's rise

In no country surveyed do more than 3 in 10 adults say they are mainly excited. A median of 34% are more concerned than excited; 42% are equally concerned and excited.

of people globally believe AI will result in a wide range of benefits

The KPMG global study surveyed over 48,000 people across 47 countries — showing that despite concerns, a strong majority see upside.

of internet users are at least a little worried about the environmental impact of AI

More than a third (34.46%) say it worries them 'a lot'. A ChatGPT request uses 10× the electricity of a traditional Google search.

of people globally are willing to trust AI systems

Less than half of the 48,000+ respondents across 47 countries trust AI — a critical barrier to further adoption.

of people say they always trust AI Overviews in search results

61.17% only 'sometimes' trust them, and 21.05% never trust them — meaning ~82% are at least somewhat sceptical of AI-generated search.

of search users have experienced at least one significant mistake in an AI Overview

The biggest issue: 42.1% encountered inaccurate or misleading content, 35.82% found missing context, and 16.78% received unsafe advice.

of people would be less likely to engage with content marked as AI-generated

Only 18.51% would be more likely to engage. Women are more put off (55.57%) than men (42.54%).

of Gen Z trust AI to be 'objective and accurate' — vs. just 18% of Boomers

Based on a survey of 1,500 US adults. 45% of Boomers flat out say 'I don't trust it', compared with only 18% of Gen Z.

of US adults under 50 interact with AI about once a day or more

Smaller shares of those 50 and older say the same. 38% of employed 18–29-year-olds have used ChatGPT at work, vs. 18% of those 50+.

of people aged 60+ want the same amount or less AI-generated content online

Older adults are most sceptical of AI content — yet 18–29-year-olds are the next-most-sceptical group, with just 16% wanting more.

of women would be less likely to engage with AI-labelled content, vs. 42.54% of men

A gender gap runs throughout AI perception — in more than half of 25 countries surveyed by Pew, women are more likely than men to be mainly concerned about AI.

of Americans say AI will have a positive impact on medical care over the next 20 years

Healthcare is the area where public sentiment is most positive — only 19% expect a negative impact. Views are far more pessimistic about education and jobs.

say AI will have a positive impact on education — and just 23% say the same for jobs

Americans are roughly twice as optimistic about AI in healthcare as they are about AI in education or employment.

of US teens ages 13–17 have used an AI chatbot; ~60% say classmates use them to cheat

One-in-ten teens say they use a chatbot for all or most schoolwork. About a third say cheating with chatbots happens 'extremely or very often' at their school.

of internet users want to see more AI-generated content online

Meanwhile 48.12% want less, and a further 26% want about the same — meaning 74% would like a pause or reversal in AI content growth.

of people globally believe national and international AI regulation is needed

A strong public mandate for AI governance across all 47 countries surveyed. 66% also admit relying on AI output without evaluating accuracy.

median trust the EU to regulate AI effectively; 37% trust the US; 27% trust China

Across 25 countries, the EU is the most trusted AI regulator. Trust in own country varies from 89% in India to just 22% in Greece.

of AI experts think AI will positively impact the US over 20 years — vs. just 17% of the public

A wide expert-public gap. Yet half or more in both groups say they have little or no control over AI's use in their lives and want more.

of Americans trust the US to regulate AI; 47% distrust — with a partisan split

54% of Republicans trust the US to regulate AI effectively, vs. only 36% of Democrats — reflecting broader partisan divides on tech governance.