Most Americans Unhappy With Trump's Handling of AI, Polls Show

New polls show that most Americans are not happy with how President Donald Trump is handling artificial intelligence, or AI. The polls came out just before a wave of warnings from AI researchers saying the technology could be very dangerous. Only 23 percent of people surveyed said Trump has handled AI well, while 57 percent said he has not. The results could become a big political issue heading into future elections.

A former AI researcher named Jacob Coxon made headlines when he quit his job at a company called Anthropic and posted a warning online. He said he believes AI could 'kill us all by the end of the decade.' His post was viewed more than 171 million times in just a few days. Coxon said many people inside these companies share the same fears privately but do not say so in public.

Some of the biggest names in tech agreed with Coxon's concerns. Dario Amodei, the CEO of Anthropic, wrote that AI development needs to slow down so that safety can keep up. Elon Musk wrote online that 'Dario is right,' and Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, also warned that humanity could 'lose control of the future to AI.' These warnings from powerful tech leaders got a lot of attention.

Trump pushed back strongly against calls to slow down AI. He wrote on Truth Social that the only guardrails needed are 'a STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT.' He also claimed there is a 'sick conspiracy' against AI and warned that slowing it down would only help China. CNN analyst Harry Enten said Trump and the American people are simply 'not anywhere close together on this one.'

Young people were especially critical of Trump's handling of AI. Only 10 percent of Americans aged 18 to 29 said Trump has done well on the issue. That compares to 33 percent of those older than 55. This gap shows that younger Americans, who will live with AI technology the longest, are among the least satisfied.

A YouGov poll found that 50 percent of Americans worry AI could cause the end of the human race. Even more — 73 percent — fear AI will cause mass unemployment, meaning people could lose jobs to machines. And 67 percent said AI is advancing too quickly. These numbers show that concern about AI is widespread across the country.

Some lawmakers are pushing for new laws to control AI. Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Greg Casar announced a bill that would pause advanced AI development until safety rules are set. Sanders compared the situation to the nuclear arms race of the 1980s and said Trump should negotiate a treaty with China's leader. Representative Yassamin Ansari also called for urgent federal rules and global teamwork on AI safety.

It is not yet clear whether Congress will act quickly. House Speaker Mike Johnson has not said he plans to bring AI legislation to a vote soon. However, a group called the Pro-Human Assembly is expected to hold an event this week with lawmakers from both parties. The fact that both Republicans and Democrats are joining together on AI safety shows the issue is crossing traditional political divides.