AI anxiety is sweeping the globe — and cutting across party lines

Billy Odell Tucker-Robinson Founder & Host — Banking With Billy Network • Intelligence Network • Data Science • AI Research • World News
Published: 2026-09-23T03:10:57.446Z • Permanent link

Majorities in six countries said there was at least a "moderate" risk that AI could "destroy humanity," a new POLITICO Poll found. The results were stark: 57% of Americans, 62% of Germans, 59% of French citizens, 58% of British people, 61% of Australians, and 60% of Canadians believed that AI posed a significant threat to human existence. This is not a fringe concern; it is a widespread worry that is transcending party lines.

According to a recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, a majority of Americans now believe that AI is a threat to humanity, with 51% saying it is a major threat, 35% saying it is a moderate threat, and 12% saying it is not a threat at all. This shift in public opinion is not limited to the United States; similar concerns are being expressed in other countries around the world. In the UK, a survey by the Royal Society found that 56% of respondents believed that AI posed a significant threat to human existence, while in Germany, a survey by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research found that 58% of respondents believed that AI posed a major threat.

The concerns about AI are not limited to the general public; many experts in the field are also sounding the alarm. In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Andrew Ng, the co-founder of Coursera and AI pioneer, said that AI poses a significant threat to humanity and that we need to take action to mitigate this risk. "We're at a crossroads," he said. "We can either continue down the path of developing more powerful AI systems that could potentially pose a threat to humanity, or we can take steps to ensure that these systems are aligned with human values and goals.

The widespread concern about AI is having a significant impact on the Data Sources domain. Many companies that specialize in AI and machine learning are feeling the pressure to demonstrate that their technologies are safe and trustworthy. This is particularly true for companies that are working on developing autonomous vehicles, medical diagnostic systems, and other applications where the consequences of an AI system malfunction could be catastrophic.

For example, the company Waymo, which is developing self-driving cars, has been working to address concerns about the safety of its technology. In a recent interview with the New York Times, Waymo's CEO, John Krafcik, said that the company was taking a cautious approach to the development of its autonomous vehicles, citing concerns about the potential risks of an AI system malfunction. "We're not trying to be the first company to get autonomous vehicles on the road," he said. "We're trying to be the company that gets them right.

The concerns about AI are also having a significant impact on the research community. Many researchers are working to develop new methods for ensuring the safety and trustworthiness of AI systems. For example, a recent study published in the journal Nature found that using techniques such as adversarial testing and explainability can help to ensure that AI systems are transparent and trustworthy.