Stanford report finds a widening gap in how people and AI experts view AI

In short: A new Stanford report says AI experts feel far more positive about AI than the public, and the gap is growing.

What's going on

Stanford University’s 2026 AI Index report looks at public opinion data from sources like Pew Research and Ipsos. It found that people and AI experts increasingly see AI in very different ways.

In the US, Pew data cited in the report shows only 10% of Americans say they are more excited than concerned about AI being used more in daily life. By contrast, 56% of AI experts said AI will have a positive impact on the US over the next 20 years.

The split shows up in specific areas that affect everyday life. Stanford cites findings that 84% of experts think AI will help medical care over the next 20 years, but only 44% of the general public agrees. On jobs, 73% of experts feel positive about AI’s impact on how people do their work, compared with 23% of the public. Nearly two thirds of Americans, 64%, think AI will lead to fewer jobs over the next 20 years.

The report also points to trust and regulation concerns. The US had the lowest trust in its government to regulate AI responsibly at 31%, while Singapore was highest at 81%.

What to watch

This gap matters because it can shape what rules get written and how fast AI tools spread. Many AI leaders talk about AGI, meaning a theoretical AI that could do any task a human can. The report suggests many people are focused on more immediate issues, like job security and whether new data centers, which are large buildings full of computers, could raise energy costs.

Source: TechCrunch AI