Half of US Adults Now Use AI—but Views on How to Regulate the Technology Vary Widely by State

janrinok writes:

https://phys.org/news/2025-08-adults-ai-views-technology-vary.html

Half of U.S. adults report using at least one "major AI tool," but public attitudes about artificial intelligence regulation remain divided nationwide, according to a new survey.

The 50-state report, published as part of the multi-university Civic Health and Institutions Project (CHIP50), found that views about how and whether to rein in AI tools don't follow typical red-blue state divides. Missouri and Washington, for example, expressed the strongest views about a lack of regulatory oversight, while New York and Tennessee were most worried about government overreach.

But concerns about workplace disruption are nearly universal. Majorities in all 50 states expect AI to impact their jobs within five years, especially in tech-heavy and Sun Belt states such as California, Massachusetts, Texas and Georgia. Meanwhile, regions like the Corn Belt and Rust Belt anticipate less immediate disruption.

John Wihbey, an associate professor of media innovation and technology at Northeastern University and co-author of the study, says the findings provide some insight into the public's view of a technology that has already become part of many Americans' daily life.

"At a time when state-level regulation for AI and public opinion is central to the national debate, this is perhaps the first look at how the states compare on usage, preferences and regulation," Wihbey says.

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