Exclusive: Americans want AI guardrails but resist key trade-offs, survey finds
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Nearly two-thirds of Americans now use AI regularly and want stronger oversight, but are conflicted on how far regulation should go, according to a new national survey from AI governance nonprofit Fathom shared exclusively with Axios.
Why it matters: Americans are growing more comfortable with AI as Washington struggles to regulate it, but people still want guarantees on safety and job security.
By the numbers: Nearly two-thirds of Americans use AI weekly or more, per the survey.
- 40% of respondents say they're excited about AI, while 23% say they're concerned. Another 35% feel both.
- 90% say it's important that AI products for kids should be verified as "safe" before they're used.
People also say they want policymakers to deliver guardrails while also keeping the U.S. dominant in AI.
- Support for international cooperation drops from 47% to 34% when it would require the U.S. to cede control.
- Respondents also strongly back workforce transition policies with support from the government, and say they trust independent experts and nonprofits more than politicians or tech companies to set guardrails.
Methodology: The Fathom survey of 2,036 people was conducted online by Forbes Tate Partners from Jan. 29-Feb. 4.
- Respondents first rated 20 principles for a "good future with AI." Those included principles such as trust vs. competitiveness and accountability vs. innovation, for instance.
- Those principles were then tested with explicit trade-offs, like liability risks for companies or increased costs for taxpayers.
- Finally, people were asked to choose between competing positions, like international coordination vs. U.S. control of AI development.
What they're saying: "Child safety, corporate accountability, and verifiable standards are Americans' top priorities for a good future with AI," the study's authors write.
- "These priorities hold up across party lines, and even when the trade-offs are made explicit."
- Per the study, "the public wants governance and American leadership — and policymakers will have to design frameworks that reconcile the two."
