Two-thirds of Americans think AI is advancing too quickly
TL;DR
Pew Research shows a sharp split: 49 percent of Americans use AI chatbots at least occasionally, while 63 percent say the technology is moving too fast. Usage has jumped quickly. In 2024, only 33 percent reported using chatbots at least occasionally; ChatGPT alone is now at 44 percent and has roughly doubled since 2023. Trust is lagging behind adoption. Only 16 percent of Americans expect AI to have a positive effect on society, while 48 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds expect a negative one.
Nauti's Take
The easiest tech narrative has been that once people try AI, they will naturally be convinced. Pew makes that look like wishful thinking.
Usage is not the same as approval, and frequent users may be the ones most exposed to the weak spots: wrong answers, unclear data flows, and pressure at work. This is not an anti-AI signal.
It is a warning against treating adoption as a substitute for trust.
Briefingshow
The numbers do not show a simple adoption problem. They show a more mature skepticism: many people use AI because it is useful, but they do not trust the speed of its social rollout. For companies, media, and policymakers, productivity alone is no longer a convincing story.
Trust now depends on clearer answers about errors, data use, jobs, and rules.
Sources