Most Americans Say AI Is Moving Too Fast, AP-NORC Poll Finds

Most U.S. adults believe artificial intelligence is developing too quickly, according to a new Associated Press-NORC poll. The results show broad public concern about whether government policy and safeguards are keeping pace with increasingly capable AI systems.

The survey found that 64% of adults think AI is developing “too fast.” Twenty-seven percent said the pace is about right, while 8% said development is moving too slowly. Concern crosses party lines: 76% of Democrats and 54% of Republicans said AI is advancing too quickly.

Public wants guardrails around AI

The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that about eight in 10 U.S. adults consider it extremely or very important for the government to keep AI under human control. Respondents were about as likely to say protecting the country’s workforce should be a high priority.

Similar shares of Democrats and Republicans also rated promoting technological innovation as an important government priority. Views differed more over whether the government should prioritize minimizing environmental harm and competing with other countries.

Confidence in political leaders’ handling of AI was limited. Thirty-one percent of adults approved of President Donald Trump’s handling of AI. Twenty-three percent said they trusted the Democratic Party more than the Republican Party to handle the issue, while 21% preferred Republicans. Thirty-nine percent said neither party could be trusted to do a good job.

AI has not become a major election information source

The survey also examined whether Americans are using AI as the 2026 midterm elections approach. Twenty-one percent said they had used or planned to use AI to learn about a candidate or an issue on the ballot.

Smaller shares said they had used or planned to use AI to find information about how to vote, learn how to register or decide whom to support. The figures were 12% for voting information, 10% for registration information and 10% for deciding whom to vote for.

How the poll was conducted

The nationwide poll was conducted September 24–28, 2026, using the AmeriSpeak Panel, a probability-based panel of NORC at the University of Chicago. Researchers interviewed 2,140 adults online and by telephone. The overall margin of sampling error was plus or minus 2.9 percentage points.

The findings give technology companies and policymakers a clear measure of public sentiment: Americans recognize that AI is advancing, but many want development accompanied by human oversight and protections for workers.

References

Ortutay, B., & Sanders, L. (2026, October 8). Most Americans think artificial intelligence is developing too fast, a new AP-NORC poll finds. The Associated Press. https://apnews.com/article/9ce5531b7ea53234c4e600f8c0e9cf27

AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. (2026, October 8). Most adults think AI is developing too fast. https://apnorc.org/projects/most-adults-think-ai-is-developing-too-fast/