May 17, 2026
Trust issues.exe has started
Most Americans don't trust AI – or the people in charge of it
Americans side-eye AI as commenters roast the people building and selling it
TLDR: A major new survey says AI builders are optimistic, but most Americans are uneasy and don’t trust companies or government to manage it well. In the comments, readers turned that anxiety into a full-blown roast of tech elites, weak regulation, and the same old people profiting again.
America’s AI mood is apparently less “wow, the future!” and more “absolutely not, who gave these people the keys?” A new Pew Research Center report found a huge trust gap: the people making artificial intelligence feel upbeat, while regular people are worried about jobs, power, and whether anyone in charge has a clue. The biggest red flag? Large chunks of both groups say they don’t trust government or companies to handle AI responsibly. That alone sent commenters into full eye-roll mode.
And the comment section did not come to play nice. One reader instantly pounced on the phrase “Most Americans” with a stats-snob jab: did they really ask 174.6 million people? Another cut straight to the emotional core, arguing people don’t hate AI in a vacuum — they hate that it seems controlled by the same crowd that, in their view, made Facebook, X, Reddit, Amazon, Netflix, and Google feel worse over the years. Ouch. Then came the backlash to the backlash: “And yet all of them use it...” a classic internet shrug that turned the thread into a mini morality play about hypocrisy.
But the hottest take was pure populist fury: if AI fans wanted trust, one commenter argued, they should have backed sensible rules instead of cozying up to politicians and cash. The vibe was clear: this isn’t just fear of robots — it’s rage at elites, regulators, and tech bosses. The machines are scary, sure, but the people behind them? That’s the real jump scare.
Key Points
- •A Pew Research Center survey of more than 1,000 AI experts and over 5,000 US adults found a clear optimism gap between experts and the public on AI.
- •About three-quarters of AI experts said AI will benefit them personally, while only about one-quarter of the public said the same.
- •The article says experts generally expect AI to improve jobs, while many members of the public believe it will take jobs away.
- •Majorities of both experts and the public said they want more control over how AI is used in their lives and do not trust government or private companies to regulate it responsibly.
- •Nearly 60 percent of US adults said they have little or no control over whether AI is used in their lives, and the article also notes gender and representation gaps in views about AI.