A new survey from the University of Southern California Annenberg campus has found that the public is broadly worried about the expansion of artificial intelligence and its supporting infrastructure. The vast majority of respondents are calling for stronger oversight, while also questioning whether tech companies and the government can put the public interest first.
As Americans prepare to take part in the 2026 midterm elections, these issues have become a major national focus across party lines, generations, and regions. The nationally representative probability survey, conducted through the Understanding America Study, shows that nearly one-third of Americans list artificial intelligence and data centers among the country's three most important issues.
This issue ranks just behind inflation and the cost of living, selected by 86% of respondents, and political polarization, selected by 35%. It comes ahead of immigration, personal financial situation, climate change, crime, and unemployment.
The findings show that as artificial intelligence becomes deeply integrated into the economy and daily life, voters are not only focused on what the technology can achieve but are also asking who should regulate its development, who benefits from it, and which communities bear the costs of its growth.
76% of respondents believe government regulation of artificial intelligence is seriously insufficient, while 77% say government oversight of data centers is lacking. At the same time, 71% of respondents do not trust large technology companies at all to consider the broader public interest when building data centers, and 59% hold the same view of the federal government.
Concerns Cross Party Lines
The survey shows differences in attitudes among political groups, but clear concerns are widespread across all parties. Democrats express the strongest doubts: 86% believe government regulation of AI is insufficient, compared with 72% of independents and other groups, and 68% of Republicans.
Similarly, 88% of Democrats, 73% of independents and other groups, and 69% of Republicans believe data center regulation is insufficient. Distrust of large technology companies is also widespread. 79% of Democrats, 72% of independents and other groups, and 61% of Republicans say they do not trust tech companies at all to prioritize the broader public interest when developing data centers.
Public Questions Who Benefits
Most respondents hold negative or mixed views about artificial intelligence: 32% say they feel somewhat negative or very negative, another 40% are uncertain, and only 20% hold somewhat positive or very positive views. They are similarly doubtful about the impact of the data centers that support AI: 60% believe data centers have some or a great deal of negative impact on nearby communities, and 67% believe they harm the environment.
Only 13% believe data centers benefit surrounding communities, and 7% believe they are good for the environment. Looking ten years ahead, 36% of respondents expect artificial intelligence to have a mainly negative impact on their own lives, while only 24% expect a mainly positive one. Nearly half believe AI will harm Americans' economic situation, while only 16% expect it to bring benefits.
Even Frequent AI Users Have Concerns
The survey also overturns a common assumption: familiarity with AI does not necessarily mean approval of its broader impact. 27% of Americans say they use AI tools every day. Daily users are more positive than less frequent users, but concerns within this group remain prominent: nearly three-quarters of daily users believe government regulation of AI is insufficient, and the same share believe data center regulation is insufficient.
Among all respondents who have used AI, 44% say they now use it more often than they would like, while only 7% want to increase their use further. Age divides are also limited. Adults aged 45 and under are more likely than older adults to see AI and data centers as core national issues, and they are also more likely to oppose data center construction. However, the two groups show almost the same level of distrust toward large technology companies and the federal government.
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