Pew finds only 16% of Americans positive on AI impact

TechCrunch reported on Pew Research findings showing that U.S. AI chatbot use has increased since 2024 while public optimism remains low. Pew found that only 16% of Americans think AI will have a positive impact on society, and the same survey surfaced concern that AI is advancing too quickly. The findings echo other coverage of public skepticism toward rapid AI deployment.

Key details: Published June 17, 2026 at 10:00 AM PDT, Pew found only 16% of Americans think AI will positively affect society, Chatbot usage has increased since 2024, The same survey also surfaced concern about AI advancing too quickly.

Why it matters: Public trust is lagging behind usage growth, which can shape regulation, workplace adoption, and consumer tolerance for AI defaults.