The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the US is increasing rapidly, but paradoxically, people's trust in this technology tends to decrease.
This is a noteworthy result from a new survey published by Quinnipiac University (a prestigious private university in the US).
A survey of nearly 1,400 Americans showed that more than 3/4 of respondents (about 76%) said they rarely or occasionally trust AI.
Meanwhile, only 21% of these said they believe in the results created by AI most or almost all the time.
Use increases, trust decreases
This trend is taking place in the context of AI being increasingly widely applied in life. Only 27% of Americans said they have never used AI tools, down from 33% in April 2025.
According to Chetan Jaiswal - Professor of Computer Science at Quinnipiac University, the gap between usage and trust is very noteworthy. Up to 51% of survey participants use AI for research purposes, while many others apply it to writing, work and data analysis.
Americans are quickly adopting AI, but they do it with deep hesitation, not firm belief," Professor Chetan Jaiswal said.
Worry overwhelms excitement
One of the reasons for the decline in confidence is the feeling of anxiety about the future that AI brings. Only 6% of respondents said they are "very excited" about this technology, while 62% showed little or no excitement at all.
Conversely, up to 80% of Americans said they feel worried at different levels about AI.
The Millennials and Baby Boomers are the most worried groups, while Gen Z is also no less pessimistic.
Notably, 55% of survey participants believe that AI will be more harmful than beneficial in daily life, while only about one-third have a more positive view.
Worry about job loss and social impact
The biggest concern revolves around the labor market. Up to 70% of Americans believe that AI will reduce job opportunities, while only 7% believe that this technology will create more jobs.
This assessment is not without basis. According to recent data, the number of low-level recruitment news in the US has decreased sharply since 2023.
Even Dario Amodei - co-founder and CEO of AI Anthropic, once warned that this technology could replace many jobs.
However, one noteworthy point is that despite concerns about the labor market in general, only 30% of working people believe that AI may make their jobs obsolete, although this number has increased compared to 21% last year.
According to Tamilla Triantoro - Professor of Business Analysis and Information Systems at Quinnipiac University, this shows that Americans are more likely to imagine a difficult labor market than to be affected by themselves.
Declining confidence is also related to skepticism towards technology companies and regulators.
About 2/3 of respondents believe that businesses are not transparent about how to use AI, and the government has not done enough to control this field.
In the context that states in the US are seeking to tighten regulations, while the federal government tends to ease, inconsistency in management further increases anxiety.
