AI Public Opinion Tracker wave 4
Fourth wave of a repeated US tracker on public attitudes to AI, published as a findings report.
Research library.
Existing research on public attitudes to AI, across both the existential-risk and present-day-harms conversations.
Listing here is not an endorsement. These summaries describe what each study did and found; Common Signals does not rate, rank or assess them. We list research from both the existential-risk and present-day-harms conversations, on purpose.
AI Index Report 2026: Public opinion chapter
The AI Index's annual public opinion chapter drawing together the major international surveys. Reports the global share seeing more benefits than drawbacks from AI rose from 55% in 2024 to 59% in 2025 while the share saying AI makes them nervous rose to 52%.
Key finding: 59% globally see more benefits than drawbacks, up from 55% in 2024
Adults' Media Use and Attitudes 2026
Ofcom's annual UK media literacy tracker with a growing AI section. Reports 54% of UK adults now use AI tools, up from 31% in 2024, while trust in AI-generated content has not risen alongside use.
Key finding: 54% of UK adults use AI tools, up from 31% in 2024
Public opinion on AI varies widely by age gender race and frequency of use
Polling analysis of how American attitudes to AI split by demographic group and by frequency of use, with usage emerging as a major dividing line.
On the razor's edge: AI vs. everything we care about
Segmentation study identifying five groups of the public closest to civic action on AI and how AI fits into wider hopes and fears. Reports women twice as likely as men to worry about AI and 60% worried about AI's effect on relationships.
Key finding: Women twice as likely as men to worry about AI
How Americans view AI and its impact on people and society
Pew's US survey on the increased use of AI in daily life. Reports that 50% of Americans are more concerned than excited, up from 37% in 2021.
Key finding: 50% more concerned than excited, up from 37% in 2021
How people around the world view AI
Pew's cross-national comparison of concern and excitement about AI, awareness levels and trust in institutions to regulate it, across 25 countries including the UK and Canada.
Trust attitudes and use of artificial intelligence: A global study 2025
The largest global study of public trust in AI. Reports 66% use AI with some regularity while 46% are willing to trust it, and that trust fell and worry rose as adoption grew since the 2022 study.
Key finding: 66% use AI regularly, 46% willing to trust it
What the UK thinks about AI
Joint survey on UK public attitudes to AI, framed around building trust to support adoption. Finds many people in the UK remain cautious about AI.
Flash poll: Trust and artificial intelligence at a crossroads
Trust Barometer flash poll on trust in AI across five markets. Reports trust in AI at 72% in China against 32% in the US, and that hands-on use is associated with higher trust.
Key finding: Trust in AI: 72% in China, 32% in the US
From catastrophic to concrete: Reframing AI risk communication for public mobilization
Communications study on how framing AI risk as concrete and near-term rather than catastrophic and abstract affects public willingness to act.
How do people feel about AI? Wave two
Second wave of the nationally representative UK survey, repeating the 2022 questions to track change, with new material on regulation. A companion data site publishes the tables.
Key finding: Nearly nine in ten UK adults support independent regulation of AI
What does the public think about AI? (State of AI polling)
Public First's UK and US polling on AI, published as an interactive site and polling tables. Reports 73% of UK adults would support AI diagnosis if double-checked by a human doctor.
Key finding: 73% of UK adults would support AI diagnosis if double-checked by a doctor
Public attitudes to data and AI: Tracker survey wave 4
The UK government's annual tracker of public attitudes to data and AI, designed to monitor change over time. Datasets are deposited with the UK Data Service (study 8946).
Voters prefer AI regulation that mandates safety measures over industry self-regulation
One of AIPI's recurring US voter polls on AI regulation. Reports around 80% preferring mandated safety standards for the most advanced models over self-regulation, and a 2:1 margin against open-sourcing powerful models.
Key finding: About 80% of US voters prefer mandated safety standards over self-regulation
Poll: public demand for government to address extreme risks from AI
UK polling commissioned by CLTR on whether the public wants government to address extreme risks from AI.
How do people feel about AI? Wave one
The first nationally representative UK survey of awareness, experience and attitudes across specific uses of AI. Reports clear perceived benefits for health, science and security uses, and concern about AI replacing professional judgement.
Key finding: 64% worried workplaces would rely too heavily on AI in recruitment
Suggest a study.
We're looking for research that meets all three:
- Primary research on public attitudes to AI, not commentary or a summary of other work.
- A public report or dataset we can link to directly.
- A verifiable link: the primary source, not press coverage of it.
We don't list opinion pieces, vendor marketing dressed as research, or think-pieces without underlying data.