AI experts and the public’s opinions on the technology are increasingly diverging, according to Stanford University’s annual report on the AI industry released on Monday. Specifically, the report notes a growing trend of concern in the US about AI and how this technology will impact key social sectors such as jobs, medical care, and the economy.
The report’s findings follow a growing negative sentiment about AI, with Gen Z reportedly leading the way, according to a recent Gallup poll. The study found that young people were becoming less hopeful and more angry toward technology, even though only about half of the demographic were using AI daily or weekly.
For some people working in tech, the AI backlash has come as a surprise. AI leaders have focused on managing the potential of Artificial General Intelligence, or AGI – a theoretical form of AI superintelligence that can perform any task that humans can perform and think about on their own. But everyday people are more concerned about the impact of AI on their wages and whether their electricity bills will increase due to the construction of energy-hungry data centers.
The divide has been most evident in the online reaction to the recent attacks on the home of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. For example, in a post on X, AI insiders expressed surprise at a series of Instagram comments that seemed to praise the attack on Altman’s home. Some online comments are similar to those that circulated online after the CEO of UnitedHealthcare was shot to death in 2024 and more recently after the burning of a Kimberly-Clark warehouse by an employee angry at not being paid a “livable wage” – some comments even suggesting that even more action akin to a revolution is needed.
The Stanford report provides more insight into where all this negativity is coming from, as it summarizes data on public sentiment about AI across a variety of sources.
For example, it pointed to a Pew Research report published last month that said only 10% of Americans said they were more excited than concerned about the increasing use of AI in daily life. Meanwhile, 56% of AI experts said they believe AI will have a positive impact on the US over the next 20 years.
Expert opinions and public sentiments also vary greatly in specific areas where AI may have social impact. In fact, the report’s authors said that 84% of experts said AI would have a largely positive impact on medical care over the next 20 years, but only 44% of the American general public said the same.
Also, the majority (73%) of experts felt positive about the impact of AI on the way people work, while only 23% of the public felt the same. And 69% of experts believe that AI will have a positive impact on the economy. Given alleged AI-fueled layoffs and workplace disruptions, it’s not surprising that only 21% of the public felt the same way.
Other data from Pew Research cited in the report said AI experts were less pessimistic on the impact of AI on the job market, with nearly two-thirds of Americans (or 64%) saying they think fewer jobs will be created over the next 20 years due to AI.
The US has the least trust in its government to regulate AI responsibly compared to other countries, at 31%. Singapore ranked highest with 81%, according to data from Ipsos found in the Stanford report.
Another source looked at regulation concerns on a state-by-state level and concluded that, nationwide, 41% of respondents said federal AI regulation would not go far enough, while only 27% said it would go “too far.”
Despite fears and concerns, AI received an appreciation: Globally, people who like AI products and services provide more benefits than drawbacks, rising slightly from 55% in 2024 to 59% in 2025.
But at the same time, according to data cited by the report’s authors, the number of respondents who said AI makes them “nervous” increased from 50% to 52% during the same period.
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