Two-thirds of Americans think AI is advancing too quickly
TL;DR
Pew Research Center surveyed 5,119 U.S. adults in February 2026: 49% use AI chatbots at least occasionally, up from 33% in 2024. Despite rising adoption, 63% say AI is advancing too quickly. Only 16% expect AI to have a positive impact on society. ChatGPT is still far ahead: 44% have used it. Gemini follows at 24%, Copilot at 17%, Meta AI at 14% and Claude at 6%. Young adults are both the heaviest users and more skeptical: 66% of 18- to 29-year-olds use chatbots, while 48% expect negative effects on society.
Nauti's Take
The easy story would be: if 49% use chatbots, the market has accepted the rollout. The numbers are harsher.
Many people try AI because it is useful or already built into tools, while trust is lagging. Companies stuffing AI into every surface should read this as a warning: the friction sits around control, transparency and accountability.
Briefingshow
The poll exposes a gap AI companies often gloss over: adoption is not approval. People use chatbots for search, work and daily tasks while worrying about pace, privacy and social impact. That creates a trust problem for vendors, regulators and media platforms turning AI into default infrastructure.
Sources