84% of US voters see AI as a threat to American workers: Poll

# 84% of U.S. Voters See AI as Threat to American Workers, Reuters/Ipsos Poll Finds

A large majority of American voters believe artificial intelligence could pose a serious threat to U.S. workers, while many also say the federal government is not doing enough to address the potential risks of rapidly advancing AI, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll.

The survey found that 84% of registered voters view AI as a threat to American workers. That share was considerably higher than the percentages who identified illegal immigration, competition from foreign workers or large corporations as threats to U.S. employment.

Concerns about AI extend beyond jobs. About 62% of voters said the technology could eventually become uncontrollable and threaten humanity’s future. That figure is broadly similar to the result from a Reuters/Ipsos survey conducted in August 2025.

The poll was conducted nationwide from September 30 through October 5, as AI becomes an increasingly prominent issue in the political debate ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.

The findings show substantial bipartisan support for greater government oversight of artificial intelligence. About 61% of Republicans and 80% of Democrats said they favor stricter regulation of AI, indicating that concerns about the technology extend across party lines.

At the same time, 57% of registered voters said the Trump administration has not taken AI risks seriously enough or has not taken them seriously at all. About 54% expressed a similar view of Congress. Even among Republican voters, roughly one-third said the administration was not taking AI risks seriously enough.

The results come as AI development accelerates across the U.S. economy, raising questions about employment, cybersecurity, autonomous systems and the growing infrastructure required to power increasingly sophisticated models.

The Trump administration has generally promoted rapid AI development, including the construction of data centers, while emphasizing the importance of maintaining U.S. technological leadership in competition with China.

Administration officials have also favored voluntary approaches to AI safety rather than broad federal regulation. A White House official responding to the poll pointed Reuters toward the administration's AI task force and said its objective is to ensure that the United States remains a global leader in the technology.

Former OpenAI employee Daniel Kokotajlo, who left the company in 2024 over concerns about its approach to AI safety, said employment and human safety remain important areas of concern as AI capabilities expand.

Calls for greater federal involvement have emerged from people on different sides of the political spectrum. Democratic Sen. Bernie Sanders and Steve Bannon, a longtime ally of Trump, have both advocated stronger federal restrictions on artificial intelligence.

### Voluntary AI Safeguards Face Questions

The administration has so far emphasized voluntary commitments from technology companies.

Trump recently announced that executives from six major AI companies had agreed to voluntary safety principles that include working with independent auditors to evaluate whether their systems are functioning as intended.

The companies involved are Nvidia, SpaceX, OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta and Alphabet's Google. However, the agreement does not establish penalties for companies that decline to follow the principles. Reuters has reported that the administration's approach has focused on voluntary safeguards rather than binding regulatory requirements.

Congress has not yet reached agreement on legislation establishing comprehensive federal guardrails for AI. Lawmakers are also expected to remain away from Washington until after the midterm elections.

### Data Centers Become Part of the AI Debate

Voters' concerns also extend to the physical infrastructure behind artificial intelligence.

About 56% of registered voters said they support restrictions on the construction of data centers used to power AI systems. Support was highest among Democrats at 69%, followed by independents at 55% and Republicans at 43%.

The issue has become increasingly significant as technology companies build large data centers that require substantial amounts of electricity and other infrastructure.

Earlier Ipsos research has also found widespread concern about AI data centers, including worries about pressure on local water supplies, electricity grids and household utility costs.

Those concerns are increasingly entering local, state and congressional debates as communities consider whether the economic benefits of data center development outweigh the demands placed on local infrastructure.

### Growing Concern Over Military AI

The poll also found increasing concern about the use of artificial intelligence in military decision-making.

About 57% of voters said the U.S. government should not use AI to determine the target of a military strike. That compares with 49% who expressed the same view in a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted in August 2025.

The finding adds another dimension to the debate over AI safeguards, particularly as governments and militaries explore increasingly sophisticated applications of autonomous and semi-autonomous systems.

Overall, the Reuters/Ipsos findings suggest that Americans are becoming increasingly focused on the potential consequences of AI alongside its economic and technological opportunities.

For policymakers, the challenge is balancing investment and innovation with concerns over employment, safety, privacy, infrastructure and the possibility of increasingly autonomous systems.

The Reuters/Ipsos survey was conducted online among 4,506 U.S. adults nationwide, including 3,526 registered voters. The overall margin of error was about 2 percentage points, with some subgroups carrying a margin of error of approximately 3 percentage points.