Artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly embedded in everyday life, from helping consumers plan trips and answer questions to powering tools across retail, financial services and other industries.
But widespread adoption does not mean consumers are entirely comfortable with using the technology.
New YouGov AI CategoryView data shows that 89% of U.S. adults have at least one concern about using AI. At the same time, more than half are using AI tools at least weekly – suggesting that concern about the technology and willingness to use it can coexist.
Privacy and security lead Americans’ AI concerns
Data privacy and security is the most widely cited concern about using AI, selected by 63% of U.S. adults.
A majority (53%) are concerned about humans becoming over reliant on AI, while just under half are worried about surveillance (48%) or lack trust in AI companies (48%). Concerns about the reliability or accuracy of AI outputs follow at 46%, just ahead of fears of automation replacing human roles (44%).
Four in ten cite ethical concerns (40%), while a third are worried about regulatory uncertainty (35%) and AI’s environmental impact (33%). A quarter are concerned about a lack of knowledge or training (26%). Just one in nine (11%) U.S. adults say they have no concerns about using AI.
Concerns are doing little to keep consumers away from AI
However, while there are extensive reservations, AI use is already relatively widespread.
More than half of U.S. adults (55%) say they use AI tools at least once a week, including 22% who use them multiple times a day and a further one in eight (12%) use AI at least once a month. Around a fifth of Americans (19%) say they never use it.
Perhaps more strikingly, AI usage is similar among consumers who express concerns about the technology and those who do not.
Among Americans with at least one concern, 55% still use AI tools at least weekly. That compares with 61% among the much smaller group who say they have no concerns.
The data suggests that many consumers appear willing to use AI while simultaneously holding reservations about how it works and the risks surrounding it.
Frequent AI users are far more positive about its impact on society
When we look at AI’s broader impact on society through the prism of AI use we see a more notable difference.
Overall, Americans are slightly more likely to view AI negatively than positively. Around a third say its impact has been very or mostly positive (35%), compared with 39% who describe it as mostly or very negative.
However, the balance shifts sharply among people who use AI at least once a week. More than half (52%) say AI has had a positive impact on society, while just over a fifth (22%) take a negative view.
Attitudes become progressively less favorable as usage falls. Among people who use AI less than weekly but at least monthly, 25% see its societal impact positively and 42% negatively. For those using it less than once a month, the split is 10% positive versus 61% negative.
The contrast is starkest among Americans who never use AI: just 6% view its impact positively, while three-quarters (75%) say it has had a negative effect.
The data cannot establish whether greater exposure to AI makes consumers more positive about the technology’s impact in society, or whether people who already think it will benefit society are simply more inclined to use it. But it does show that adoption and skepticism in this area are not opposite ends of the same spectrum.
Methodology: YouGov CategoryView delivers sector-level intelligence by combining brand tracking with in-depth consumer insights. Data is collected daily from YouGov’s proprietary online panel and delivered via monthly dashboards, tailored to the unique needs of each industry. CategoryView is available across multiple verticals including Artificial Intelligence, Automotive, Financial Services, Quick Service Restaurants, and Beer & Hard Seltzers. It provides a representative view of market dynamics, brand performance, and consumer behaviors. Insights are weighted to nationally representative demographics within each market.
