Quinnipiac poll finds 77 percent of Americans want AI development slowed or paused until it is shown to be safe
Only five percent want faster progress. Most respondents back independent safety standards and say they distrust the leaders of AI companies.
Most Americans want AI development to slow down, according to a Quinnipiac University poll of 1,202 US adults conducted September 24 to 27, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. Forty-seven percent want to reduce the pace, 30 percent want a full stop until safety has been verified, and only 5 percent want faster development. Eighty-six percent support the independent safety standards now under debate for AI companies, even if those standards slow progress. Seventy-three percent worry that AI could eventually threaten humanity's survival, and 74 percent have little or no trust in AI company leaders. Fifty-three percent say AI will do more harm than good in daily life, and 91 percent say guardrails are important. At the same time, 69 percent consider keeping pace with China important. Seventy-two percent oppose an AI data center in their own community, and 52 percent are more worried about humans misusing AI than about autonomous AI. Quinnipiac's Chetan Jaiswal said the results suggest the public wants safeguards that do not depend on taking company leaders at their word. The findings arrive as US officials weigh voluntary industry commitments against binding rules.