I watched a woman at a town hall point to a map of dried-up wells and say, “They built a server farm on our aquifer.”
I felt the room tilt—anger, resignation, a private calculation about what progress costs. You can hear that same tilt in the NBC poll: people are angrier at artificial intelligence than at ICE.
That sentence lands like a warning bell; I want to show you why it resonates and what it means for the months ahead.
A county commissioner told me her town lost summer water: The poll that made AI one of the least-liked topics in America
The NBC survey of registered voters put AI near the bottom of public opinion: 46% say it evokes negative feelings, 26% positive, and 27% neutral. Only Iran and the Democratic Party scored worse.
I say this to you plainly: hostility to AI is not abstract. It’s local meetings, canceled permits, and headlines about lawsuits against OpenAI and Character.AI. That hostility is also political—President Donald Trump’s net approval around -19 (per The Economist tracker) still outpaces AI’s favorability.
A mother in a forum message asked if her teenager was changing: Why so many voters say AI’s risks outweigh its benefits
Fifty-seven percent of respondents told NBC the risks of AI outweigh the benefits. You’ll hear that in clinic waiting rooms, in HR whispers, and in student forums where early-career workers say opportunities evaporated.
Experts warn of white-collar displacement; early-career hires in vulnerable sectors have reportedly taken the biggest hits. The productivity gains AI promises are still debated, but the feeling of loss is real. AI is a lightning rod for anxiety about jobs, privacy, and mental health.
Why do people hate AI?
Because it touches what people already fear losing: control over work, clear rules about safety, and private moments. Add stories of chatbots accused of promoting self-harm and, in some cases, inciting violence, and the emotional ledger tilts negative. Lawsuits against major providers make the risks visible and legal liability real.
An organizer told me they canceled a permit after neighbors protested: How energy, water, and local fights are shaping AI’s reputation
Data center buildouts have angered communities—water shortages, higher utility bills, and worse air quality have become routine complaints. In 2025, project cancellations jumped fourfold as local resistance hardened.
Those facilities are behemoths of power and plumbing that change daily life. When you combine that with the visible ties between firms like Palantir and ICE, and OpenAI’s deals with the Pentagon, you get a stew of distrust that feels organized and intentional to many voters.
Is AI more unpopular than ICE?
The poll says yes: AI scored worse than Immigration and Customs Enforcement and worse than President Trump in net favorability. That’s an uneasy moment—something technologists assumed would command admiration now looks like a liability on Main Street.
A campaign volunteer told me donors were calling with instructions: The money and the midterms—how politics have turned AI into a battleground
Big tech is spending heavily to influence who writes AI policy. Candidates who want stricter controls face opposition funded by the industry—more than $100 million (€92m) has flowed into related races and ad campaigns, according to multiple filings.
I’ll be blunt with you: money is trying to freeze the rules in a way that benefits incumbents and firms. AI policy has supporters and critics across both parties. The poll finds most voters think neither party is handling the threat well, and that political hedging has left regulation thin at the seams.
Does AI cost jobs?
Some data already suggest early-career workers bear the brunt. Companies using ChatGPT and similar tools change hiring and training plans; the share of respondents admitting they used platforms like ChatGPT rose from 48% in December 2025 to 56% in March 2026—an awkward contrast: growing uptake even as negative feelings spread.
An aide in a governor’s office told me constituents wanted moratoriums: The policy response and where local leaders are saying no
States and localities are drafting moratoriums on new AI data centers. You’re seeing county boards pause approvals and state regulators ask for environmental reviews. That’s how politics moves when voters force officials to choose sides.
Companies argue innovation needs room to grow; opponents point to water stress and the moral consequences of surveillance tech. The resulting standoff will shape investment, supply chains, and campaign narratives through November and beyond.
I’ve watched this unfold across forums, hearings, and campaign filings, and I want you to notice one tension: people are using tools they distrust. That friction explains the rise in both regulation talk and corporate lobbying.
Where does that leave us as citizens and voters? Do we accept an industry shaping the rules, or do we demand clearer guardrails from both parties and the courts?