Public Anxiety Grows Over AI Risks and Corporate Control

Public sentiment toward artificial intelligence is trending downward across Western nations, driven by fears of existential risk and economic instability. A poll by Public First found that over half of adults in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., France, Spain, and Germany believe advanced AI could destroy humanity, with pluralities supporting a development pause. In the U.S., a Reuters/Ipsos poll indicates 73% of adults believe AI companies have failed to prevent societal harm, while 55% favor slowing development.

Jason Jones of Stony Brook University reports that while net support remains positive, monthly averages have dropped significantly since April 2025. This anxiety has manifested in populist alliances, with U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders and strategist Steve Bannon jointly demanding a halt to AI and the construction of data centers to prevent corporate elites from exacerbating economic inequality.

Government responses vary by region and party. California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order to accelerate oversight and explore a mandatory kill switch for advanced models. In Europe, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed openness to pausing development. Conversely, Donald Trump has dismissed AI warnings as a hoax. On the international stage, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent proposed an incident-notification system to China, and the United Nations Security Council is preparing to discuss AI security with representatives from OpenAI, Anthropic, and DeepSeek.