# Only 16% of Americans see positive AI societal impact per Pew

_Thursday, June 25, 2026 at 8:07 PM EDT · Policy · Latest · Tier 2 — Notable_

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Pew Research reports that only 16 percent of Americans believe artificial intelligence will have a positive impact on society over the next 20 years. Around 40 percent expect a negative impact.

Most Americans hold neutral to negative views on the technology despite increasing daily use. A vast majority, 67 percent, do not believe the U.S. government will meaningfully regulate AI. Fifty-nine percent also do not trust companies to develop it safely.

Adults under 30 show the strongest skepticism, with only 14 percent anticipating a positive societal effect. Nearly two-thirds of Americans think AI development is happening too quickly.

About a quarter of Americans use AI chatbots daily, typically for research or work. ChatGPT is the most common, used by 44 percent of U.S. adults, more than double the share from 2023. Usage of other chatbots includes Gemini at 24 percent, Copilot at 17 percent, Meta AI at 14 percent, Grok at 8 percent, Claude at 6 percent and Character.ai at 3 percent.

Men report daily use at 27 percent compared with 20 percent for women. Six in 10 Americans regularly read AI-generated internet summaries.

Roughly half of Americans do not use AI daily. Those aged 65 and older are least likely to engage, with nearly 75 percent in that group never using chatbots. Non-users say they lack interest and have no intention of adopting the tools in the future.

## Sources

- [TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/17/only-16-percent-of-americans-think-ai-will-have-a-positive-impact-on-society-a-new-study-shows/)

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Retrieved: 2026-06-26T04:37:06.626Z
Publisher: Tech & Business (techandbusiness.org)