POLITICO։ Americans say there’s a serious risk of AI destroying humanity

A majority of Americans think artificial intelligence could someday destroy humanity.

The stunning new finding from The POLITICO Poll underscores the depth of people’s anxieties about the rapidly developing technology — and how quickly public sentiment around AI has hardened. Just a few months ago, AI was a nebulous concept for many Americans. Now, lawmakers are racing to understand how to control its growth. A majority of Americans think artificial intelligence could someday destroy humanity.

Overall, about two out of three Americans say there is at least a “moderate” risk that advanced AI could destroy humanity, with majorities across parties, genders and age groups holding that view. Americans who voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024 are somewhat more likely to see such a risk (70%) than those who voted for President Donald Trump (60%).

And Americans appear inclined to take those warnings seriously. AI insiders warning there is a real risk the technology “will kill us all” are doing so because they genuinely believe it, according to roughly half of U.S. adults. Just 26% think these leaders are doing it as a marketing stunt to make their companies’ products seem powerful and important, according to The POLITICO Poll.

But Trump voters are more torn: A 44% plurality prefer pausing development, only slightly greater than the 40% who say to keep going because AI could still bring significant benefits. And even as tech leaders have started sounding the alarm, Trump himself still insists AI and data centers will be “the Greatest Economic Development Engine in History” and “will not be stopped” during his term.

The survey was conducted by independent London-based Public First Sept. 13 to Sept. 15․