A new Politico poll shows that about two-thirds of Americans believe advanced artificial intelligence could eventually pose a serious threat to humanity, reflecting growing concern over rapid AI development.
About two-thirds of US adults surveyed said advanced artificial intelligence carries at least a moderate risk of eventually destroying humanity.
The poll found that 17% considered such an outcome “almost certain”, while 20% described the risk as “significant”. Another 26% said the risk was moderate.
Concern crossed political, gender and age groups, although views differed among voters who supported the two major candidates in the 2024 presidential election.
About 70% of Kamala Harris voters said advanced AI poses at least a moderate risk to humanity. The figure fell to 60% among Donald Trump voters.
Americans Debate Slowing AI Development
The survey also showed stronger support for slowing AI development than for continuing to build increasingly advanced systems.
Around 48% of respondents said AI is already “good enough” and development should pause to reduce potential risks. Meanwhile, 31% supported continued development because they believe advanced AI could deliver major benefits.
Support for a pause stood at 58% among Harris voters and 44% among Trump voters.
The results come as leading figures in the AI industry continue to discuss the technology’s potential risks.
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Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and billionaire Elon Musk have all publicly raised concerns about the dangers associated with increasingly powerful AI systems.
Public Divided Over AI Warnings
The poll also examined how Americans view warnings from AI executives about the possibility of AI causing catastrophic harm.
About half of those surveyed said they believed AI leaders genuinely meant their warnings that advanced systems could eventually threaten humanity.
However, 26% believed such statements were mainly marketing designed to make AI products appear more powerful or important.
The debate comes as the US weighs how to regulate artificial intelligence while maintaining its technological lead over China.
Trump has continued to present AI development as an economic and technological priority while dismissing concerns about existential risks.
At the same time, Democrats and Republicans in Washington are debating how far the government should go in imposing safeguards on AI companies.
Poll Measures Public AI Concerns
The poll was conducted online by London-based Public First from September 13 to 15.
It surveyed 2,064 US adults and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.2 percentage points. The margin is higher for smaller demographic and political groups.
The findings offer a snapshot of public opinion as companies continue to develop increasingly capable artificial intelligence systems and policymakers debate how to manage their potential risks and benefits.
