Reuters/Ipsos poll finds US voters want stronger AI oversight
A national survey finds broad concern about AI's effect on jobs and bipartisan support for stricter regulation, alongside criticism of federal oversight.
What voters told the pollsters
A Reuters/Ipsos poll published October 7 found that 57% of registered US voters said the Trump administration had not taken AI risks seriously enough or at all. Another 54% said the same about Congress. The survey found 84% viewed AI as a threat to American workers. Support for stricter government regulation crossed party lines: Reuters reported 80% among Democrats and 61% among Republicans. These are respondents’ views, not a measurement of how many jobs AI has displaced or an assessment that any particular policy has failed.
Scope and policy context
Reuters said the nationwide online survey ran for six days and ended October 5. It collected responses from 4,506 US adults, including 3,526 registered voters, with a reported margin of error of two percentage points. The poll also found 56% of voters favored limits on building AI data centers, while 57% opposed using AI to determine the target of a US military strike. A White House official pointed Reuters to the administration’s AI task force and economic priorities. The findings add a current measure of public opinion after the voluntary White House AI safety accord; they do not turn that accord into binding regulation.