Savior or Scourge: The Changing Opinions Around AI

There is no escaping it: artificial intelligence (AI) has become a core topic of discussion as it influences and impacts nearly all areas of our lives, from work to education to even everyday tasks. With its rapid advancements, opinions on AI’s benefits and risks continue to evolve. We recently fielded a wave of research-on-research to explore how views around AI have potentially changed over the past year. Let’s dive into what we uncovered.

Overall

Overall, most respondents’ opinions have not changed over the last year. Meanwhile, opinions showed a noticeable split between improvement and deterioration: 33% of respondents said their opinion had “improved,” while 22% stated it had “worsened.”

Gender

Over the past year, men and women have shown distinct shifts in their opinions on AI. 39% of males reported an “improved” opinion, significantly higher than the 27% of women who felt the same. Conversely, 25% of women reported their opinion had “worsened,” compared to only 18% of men, indicating more significant concern or skepticism among female respondents.

Despite these differences, a shared middle ground emerges: 43% of men and 48% of women stated their opinions had “stayed the same,” reflecting a stable perspective in both groups.

Age

Age seems to be a key factor in the different opinions on AI. Among 25-34-year-olds, 43% said their opinion had improved, followed by 38% of those aged 18-24. Conversely, older age groups, particularly those aged 65 and older, were far more skeptical, with only 16% reporting improved opinions and 33% stating their views had worsened. Middle-aged groups (35-44 and 45-64) displayed a more neutral stance, with the majority indicating no change in their opinions.

Income

When looking at the data by income level, improved opinions grew as income went up. Higher-income respondents ($100,000+) were the most optimistic, with 45% reporting improved views and only 14% expressing worsening opinions. In contrast, respondents earning under $20,000 were less optimistic, with just 25% saying their opinions had improved and 22% reporting a more negative outlook.

Political Affiliation

Political affiliation shows apparent differences in opinions on AI. Among Democrats, 39% reported an “improved” opinion—the highest of any group. In contrast, Independents showed the lowest share of positive sentiment at 27%, with a majority (51%) stating their opinions had “stayed the same.” Republicans mirrored the overall trend, with 31% reporting an improvement, while 23% noted their opinion had “worsened.”

Ethnicity

When breaking down the data by ethnicity, we found that Asian respondents were the most optimistic about AI, with 47% reporting improved opinions and only 8% expressing worsened views. African-American respondents followed closely, with 45% expressing positive shifts. Hispanic/Latino respondents held a middle ground, with 37% reporting improved opinions, while Caucasian respondents were less optimistic, with only 28% expressing improved views and 24% reporting worsened opinions.

Panel

Exploring the data by panel revealed some interesting patterns in sentiment toward AI. Panel G respondents were the most positive, with 43% reporting improved opinions, while Panel O participants were the most skeptical, with only 20% expressing improved views and 26% reporting worsened opinions. Panel K respondents were the most neutral, with 49% stating no change in their views.

This data reinforces the importance of strategically blending your panel sources to ensure you capture accurate insights and that individual panels do not skew them. You can learn more about EMI’s unique Strategic Sample Blending approach by clicking the button below.