A global survey from Gallup and Microsoft finds that most people who use AI feel good about it and expect it to improve the future. The United States is a notable exception. Among 37 countries polled, the US was one of only three where negative emotions about AI outweighed positive ones, alongside Egypt and Palestine.
The survey, which will eventually cover 140 countries, measured awareness, use, emotional response, expected impact, and trust. A median of 81% of respondents were aware of AI tools, but only a median of 43% used them daily. In most countries, more frequent use was associated with greater trust and more positive feelings. That pattern did not hold in the US, and Gallup found similar worry in other Western countries such as the UK, Canada, and the Netherlands, calling it the "Paradox of the Worried West."
Gallup's Pablo Diego-Rosell said the biggest unanswered question is causality: whether experience with AI builds trust, or trust leads to more use. He also noted that trust in AI's accuracy is considerably lower than optimism about its potential, and that worry can coexist with optimism and skepticism. The survey cannot determine whether broader anxiety in places like the US, Egypt, and Palestine is colouring people's views of AI.