Americans are more concerned about the environmental impacts of AI than other threats
With data centers that power artificial intelligence (AI) expected to use a large amount of energy, the poll asked how concerned Americans are about the environmental impact of AI in comparison to other industries associated with emitting high amounts of greenhouse gases. It found most Americans (72 percent) are at least somewhat concerned about the environmental impact of AI, and 41 percent are at least very concerned. Those who graduated from college are more concerned about the environmental impacts of AI than those with no high school degree (45 percent vs. 25 percent). While Democrats are more concerned than Republicans across the industries polled, the area of most agreement was on AI—a 13-point difference.
Americans believe AI will do more to hurt than help society
About two in five Americans feel AI will do more to hurt than help society, while about a third feel similar feelings toward the impact on the economy and environment. Meanwhile, they are more divided on its impacts on them personally. Though there is not a large partisan divide, Democrats are more likely than Republicans to feel that AI will be more hurtful than helpful for the environment (37 percent vs. 28 percent), the U.S. economy (38 percent vs. 32 percent), and themselves personally (30 percent vs. 23 percent). As more data centers to power AI get built in rural areas, this has led to higher energy demands and utility costs, as well as reliability concerns, in these communities. Americans who live in rural areas were less likely than those who live in urban areas to think that AI will do more to help society at large (15 percent vs 25 percent), the environment (14 percent vs 21 percent), the economy (16 percent vs 26 percent), and themselves personally (15 percent vs 27 percent).