Stanford Reveals Growing Divide Between AI Experts and the General Public

A Growing Perception Gap

The annual report from Stanford University on the artificial intelligence industry, published on Monday, highlights an increasingly marked divide between AI experts and the general public. This document reveals a growing anxiety surrounding AI, particularly in the United States, where concerns focus on the potential impact of the technology on key areas such as employment, healthcare, and the economy.

The findings of the report follow a rising negative sentiment regarding AI, with Generation Z leading the way, according to a recent Gallup poll. The study found that young people are becoming less optimistic and more angry about the technology, even though about half of this age group uses AI daily or weekly.

For some players in the tech sector, the backlash against AI has come as a surprise. AI leaders have focused on managing the possibility of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)—a theoretical form of superintelligence capable of performing any task a human could do and thinking for itself. However, ordinary people are more concerned about the impact of AI on their wages and the potential rise in their energy bills due to the construction of energy-hungry data centers.

An Obvious Divide in Online Reactions

The gap has been particularly evident in online reactions to recent attacks on the home of Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI. On posts on X, for example, AI insiders expressed their surprise at a series of comments on Instagram that seemed to praise the attack on Altman's home. Some online comments had a tone similar to those that circulated after the shooting of the CEO of United Healthcare in 2024 and the recent arson of a Kimberly-Clark warehouse by an angry employee for not receiving a "decent wage"—with some even suggesting that stronger action, akin to a revolution, was necessary.

Findings from the Stanford Report

The Stanford report provides more insight into the origins of all this negativity, summarizing data on public sentiment regarding AI from various sources. For instance, it cited a Pew Research report published last month, which noted that only 10% of Americans said they were more excited than concerned about the growing use of AI in daily life. Meanwhile, 56% of AI experts stated they believed AI would have a positive impact on the United States over the next 20 years.

The opinions of experts and public sentiment also diverge significantly in specific areas where AI could have societal impacts. Indeed, 84% of experts noted that AI would have a largely positive impact on healthcare over the next 20 years, but only 44% of the general American public shared this view.

Furthermore, a majority (73%) of experts felt positive about the impact of AI on how people perform their jobs, compared to only 23% of the public. And 69% of experts believed that AI would have a positive impact on the economy. Given the layoffs and disruptions at work supposedly fueled by AI, it is not surprising that only 21% of the public shared a similar sentiment.

Other data from Pew Research, cited by the report, noted that AI experts were less pessimistic about the impact of AI on the job market, while about two-thirds of Americans (64%) believed that AI would lead to fewer jobs over the next 20 years.

Trust in AI Regulation

The United States also reported the lowest confidence in its government to regulate AI responsibly compared to other nations, with only 31% expressing confidence. Singapore scored the highest with 81%, according to data collected by Ipsos in the Stanford report.

Another source examined concerns regarding regulation at the state level and concluded that nationally, 41% of respondents stated that federal regulation of AI would not be sufficient, while only 27% felt it would go "too far."

Despite fears and concerns, AI has received some praise: globally, those who believe that AI products and services offer more benefits than drawbacks slightly increased, rising from 55% in 2024 to 59% in 2025. However, at the same time, the percentage of respondents who said that AI made them "nervous" increased from 50% to 52% during the same period.