A recent poll indicates that many voters favor a managed and monitored approach to artificial intelligence development, particularly following a meeting between President Donald Trump and tech industry CEOs about regulations, as reported first by the Daily Caller.
The survey, conducted by Plymouth Union Public Research from September 25-28, involved 1,000 likely voters and carries a margin of error of 3.1 percent. Results show that around 62 percent of respondents “definitely” or “probably” believe AI poses a risk to humanity. Even more, 70 percent think AI’s growth should be monitored in some capacity.
According to Plymouth Union Public Research’s memo, “AI is now familiar to a majority of Americans. Over 60 percent of our nationwide sample reported that they knowingly use AI in their daily lives, especially among those under 45.”
However, opinions on AI’s development appear mixed: about 43 percent expressed excitement about its evolution, while 39 percent voiced concerns, highlighting a sort of divide in sentiment.
A significant 72 percent of those surveyed support either “strongly” or “somewhat” the idea of slowing AI’s development, with 79 percent agreeing that tech companies and the government should collaborate to manage this growth.
After his recent meeting with various technology executives, Trump signed an agreement he described as “morally binding,” promoting a light regulatory touch for AI. This agreement calls for AI companies to implement internal controls to mitigate risks and to work with an independent external auditor on their regulation approaches.
Post-meeting, Trump also introduced the Super Intelligence Force (SIF), directed by Jay Clayton, the Director of National Intelligence. Other key figures, including FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Emil Michael, and OPM Director Scott Kupor, will contribute to this task force.
This task force is tasked with reporting on the risks and benefits of technology to the White House and defining the government’s role within 120 days.
“These findings provide valuable insight into how voters perceive the voluntary safety agreement that major tech leaders signed after their discussions with the President at the White House. Trump’s utilization of his platform to secure common-sense safeguards from AI leaders aligns with the voters’ demands,” the memo noted.
However, the public’s general lack of trust in the tech industry suggests that there will likely be a push for such agreements to be formally established in the future. Trump’s willingness to consider this aligns him with public sentiment on this critical issue, according to the memo.
