Pew Poll: Most Americans Think AI Is Moving Too Fast, and They’re Using It More Than Ever

Pew Research just dropped a new poll on AI attitudes, and the numbers tell a story that’s both predictable and a little ironic.

Forty-nine percent of Americans now say they use chatbots at least occasionally. That’s up from just 33% in 2024—a pretty dramatic jump in two years. ChatGPT specifically has doubled its user base since 2023, with 44% of respondents saying they’ve tried it.

But here’s the kicker: 63% of Americans think AI is advancing too quickly. That’s nearly two-thirds of the country looking at this stuff and saying “slow down.”

Only 16% of respondents believe AI will have a positive impact on society. That’s a pretty grim outlook for an industry that keeps telling us we’re on the verge of a revolution.

What I find most interesting—and maybe a little worrying—is the generational split. Younger Americans are both the heaviest users of AI and the most pessimistic about its effects. 66% of people between 18 and 29 think AI is moving too fast. These are the folks who grew up with smartphones, who remember when social media was supposed to connect us all. Now they’re looking at AI with the same skeptical eye.

That’s not just a data point. It’s a warning sign. If the people who actually use this technology don’t trust where it’s headed, the industry has a real perception problem.

The poll doesn’t dig into why younger users feel this way, but I’d bet it’s a mix of job anxiety, privacy concerns, and the general unease that comes from watching tech companies roll out half-baked products at breakneck speed. We’ve seen this movie before with social media, and it didn’t end well.

Pew’s numbers also show that AI usage is becoming more mainstream, but the enthusiasm gap is real. People are using these tools because they’re useful—for writing emails, generating code, or just messing around. But they’re not convinced the long-term trade-off is worth it.

That 63% figure should give pause to anyone pushing AI adoption without addressing the underlying fears. You can’t just say “trust us” and expect people to fall in line.

I’ve been watching these polls for years, and the trend is consistent: usage goes up, trust doesn’t follow. That’s not a bug—it’s a feature of how the tech industry operates. Ship first, ask forgiveness later. But at some point, the public stops forgiving.

Pew’s full report has more detail, but the headline is clear: Americans are using AI more than ever, and they’re not happy about it. If I were an AI company, I’d be less focused on the next model release and more on figuring out why two-thirds of the country wants me to slow down.