Half of Americans Now Use AI Chatbots, but 40% Think AI Will Make Society Worse and Two-Thirds Don't Trust the Government to Regulate It
The Next Web, Wednesday, June 17th, 2026
Nearly half of Americans use AI chatbots, yet widespread skepticism persists about societal impact and regulatory trust.
A Pew Research Center survey of 5,119 US adults found 49% now use AI chatbots, with ChatGPT dominating at 44% usage.
However, significant concerns emerged: 40% believe AI will harm society, roughly two-thirds say the technology advances too quickly, and majorities distrust both government (67%) and companies (59%) to manage it responsibly.
The most common uses were information searching and entertainment, while fewer Americans adopted chatbots for high-stakes uses like news or emotional support. The research reveals a gap between adoption rates and confidence in institutional oversight.