73% of Americans Fear AI Companies Are Not Doing Enough to Prevent Disaster

Three-quarters of Americans worry AI companies have not done enough to prevent the technology from causing serious harm, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll.

The four-day online survey of 1,277 US adults found that 73% expressed concern about whether AI companies are doing enough to prevent serious societal harm.

Meanwhile, 39% said AI is having a negative impact on society, up from 36% last month and the highest level recorded since Reuters/Ipsos began asking the question in March. Only 11% said AI is having a positive impact.

Most respondents also lacked confidence in AI companies regulating themselves and said federal officials should play a major role in setting AI safety standards.

55% of Americans support slowing AI development

The poll found that 55% of Americans believe slowing AI development would be a good thing, while 13% viewed a slowdown negatively.

Another 73% said developing AI safely and responsibly matters more than keeping the US ahead of other countries in the AI race. By comparison, 23% prioritized maintaining the country’s lead.

Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman has also argued that competition with China should not prevent AI regulation, even as China continues its AI push.

Around 69% of respondents said they had followed recent news about calls for stronger AI oversight and safety standards.

The debate comes as companies face growing pressure to introduce stronger safeguards. OpenAI has pushed for global standards for frontier AI and recently said it will allow outside model evaluations during development.

AI safety concerns grow as development accelerates

Concerns around AI cybersecurity risks, autonomous agents, privacy, and oversight continue to grow as companies expand AI capabilities.

Meta also recently stopped testing its Muse AI agent with human contractors handling calls following privacy concerns.

At the same time, supporters argue AI could improve productivity, accelerate scientific discovery, and reshape industries including healthcare and finance.