Key facts
- 57% of US voters believe the Trump administration has not taken AI risks seriously enough.
- 54% of US voters believe Congress has not taken AI risks seriously enough.
- 62% of voters believe AI could get out of control and risk the future of humankind.
- 84% of voters see AI as a threat to American workers.
- 80% of Democrats and 61% of Republicans support stricter government regulation on AI.
- 56% of voters back limits on building data centers that power AI.
Most US voters believe that neither President Donald Trump's administration nor Congress are taking the risks associated with artificial intelligence seriously enough and are calling for new government regulations on the technology, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll. The survey, conducted over six days and ending on Monday, revealed widespread concern across the political spectrum about AI's potential to threaten American jobs.
Concerns about AI have intensified amid reports of AI agents causing disruptions and hacking into corporate networks, as well as warnings from researchers about its potential existential threat to humanity. The energy demands of AI data centers have also become a point of contention, with voters expressing opposition to their construction near residential areas due to their impact on utility bills.
The poll found that 57% of registered voters, including a third of Republicans, believe the Trump administration has not adequately addressed AI risks. Similarly, 54% of voters hold this view regarding Congress. Artificial intelligence has emerged as a significant issue in the lead-up to the November 3 midterm elections.
President Trump has consistently advocated for AI and data center development, viewing them as crucial for US competitiveness. He has often argued against imposing limits on the technology's use and development, suggesting that the US tech industry could fall behind China if such restrictions were implemented. However, AI safety advocates consider this perspective misguided.
Daniel Kokotajlo, a former OpenAI staffer who resigned in 2024 due to concerns about the company's responsible behavior, stated that while AI's existential threat is a concern, the more immediate worries for most Americans involve job displacement and threats to health and safety.
A White House official, in response to questions about the president's handling of AI, highlighted Trump's new task force aimed at maintaining US global leadership in AI. The official also addressed voters' employment fears by emphasizing the administration's priority of a booming economy to provide workers with opportunities and minimize disruption from AI.
Despite calls for federal action from various political figures, including Senator Bernie Sanders and Steve Bannon, concrete legislative steps have been limited. President Trump recently announced that major AI developers, including Nvidia, SpaceX, OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta, and Alphabet's Google, had agreed to voluntary safety principles. These principles include provisions for independent auditors to assess AI systems, but they do not specify consequences for non-compliance. Congress has yet to reach an agreement on AI guardrails and is expected to be in recess until after the midterm elections.
The poll also indicated that 84% of voters perceive AI as a threat to American workers, a higher percentage than those who view illegal immigration, foreign worker competition, or large corporations as threats. A bipartisan majority, with 80% of Democrats and 61% of Republicans supporting it, favored stricter government regulation of AI.
Furthermore, many voters expressed opposition to the construction of AI data centers, with 56% of all voters, including 69% of Democrats, 55% of independents, and 43% of Republicans, backing limits on their development. Concerns about AI in warfare are also growing, with 57% of voters believing the US government should not use AI to determine military strike targets, an increase from 49% in August 2025.