Quinnipiac poll shows rising AI adoption but falling public trust

A Quinnipiac University poll published Monday shows that more Americans are using artificial intelligence tools even as trust in the technology stays low. Nearly 1,400 Americans were surveyed. Seventy six percent said they trust AI rarely or only sometimes. Twenty one percent said they trust it most or almost all of the time. Only 27 percent of respondents said they have never used AI tools. That share fell from 33 percent in April 2025. The contradiction between use and trust is striking, said Chetan Jaiswal, a computer science professor at Quinnipiac. Fifty one percent use AI for research. Many also use it for writing, work projects, and data analysis. Excitement about AI remains limited. Six percent of respondents said they were very excited about AI. Sixty two percent said they were not so excited or not at all excited. Eighty percent said they were very concerned or somewhat concerned about AI. Fifty five percent believe AI will do more harm than good in their day to day lives. A third said AI will do more good than harm. Negative views increased from last year's survey. Sixty five percent of Americans oppose building AI data centers in their communities. They cited high electricity costs and water use as primary concerns. Seventy percent think AI advancements will reduce job opportunities. That figure rose from 56 percent last year. Seven percent think AI will lead to more job opportunities. Among employed Americans, 30 percent are concerned that AI will make their jobs obsolete. That share increased from 21 percent last year. Two thirds of respondents said businesses are not doing enough to be transparent about their AI use. The same share said the government is not doing enough to regulate AI.