Poll: 64% of Americans Say AI Development Harms Society

A Marquette University Law School poll released Thursday found 64 percent of Americans believe AI development is bad for society, while 36 percent view it positively. This marks a 6-point drop from July's 70 percent negative rating. Despite the negative outlook, 69 percent of respondents said they use AI, up from previous polls. Data centers drew criticism, with 54 percent citing high water use and 51 percent citing increased electricity costs as significant drawbacks. The survey follows ongoing political debate over AI regulation, including calls for guardrails from lawmakers and tech leaders. The poll, conducted Sept. 2-9 among 1,023 respondents, has a margin of error of 4.3 percentage points.