Stanford AI Index finds widening gap between expert optimism and public concern

Stanford University's annual AI Index report, released Monday, documents a growing divergence between AI experts and the general public on the technology's impact. The report highlights rising public anxiety around AI's effects on jobs, medical care, and the economy, while experts remain broadly optimistic about its long-term benefits. Only 10 percent of Americans said they were more excited than concerned about the increased use of AI in daily life, according to a Pew Research survey cited in the report. In contrast, 56 percent of AI experts said they believed AI would have a positive impact on the United States over the next 20 years. The gap was even wider on specific issues: 84 percent of experts said AI would have a largely positive impact on medical care over the next two decades, compared with 44 percent of the U.S. general public who said the same. The report notes that AI industry leaders have focused on managing the theoretical risks of artificial general intelligence, while everyday concerns center on more immediate issues such as job displacement and rising utility costs from energy-intensive data centers. A Gallup poll found that Gen Z is leading the shift toward negative sentiment, with young people growing less hopeful and more angry about AI even as roughly half of that demographic uses it daily or weekly. The findings come amid growing public backlash against AI companies. Recent online reactions to attacks on OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's home drew responses similar to those seen after other corporate controversies, with some comments suggesting further action is needed.