A new Pew Research poll finds 63% of Americans believe AI is advancing too quickly, even as chatbot usage rises to 49%. Younger generations use AI more but hold more negative views about its societal impact.
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<p class="has-text-align-none">According to the <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2026/06/17/americans-and-ai-2026-chatbots-smart-devices-and-views-on-impact/">latest Pew Research poll</a>, 49 percent of Americans report using chatbots at least occasionally, but 63 percent think the tech is advancing too quickly. Overall, use of AI chatbots has increased dramatically since 2024, when only 33 percent reported using them. Specifically, ChatGPT's usage has doubled since 2023, with 44 percent of respondents saying they've used it. But opinions <a href="https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/644853/pew-gallup-data-americans-dont-trust-ai">remain</a> <a href="https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/780184/pew-research-americans-want-ai-out-of-their-personal-lives">negative</a>, with only 16 percent saying that AI will have a positive impact on society.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">Interestingly, it's the younger generations who both report using AI more and who are inclined to have a <a href="https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/920401/gen-z-ai">more pessimistic view</a>. 66 percent of Americans betw …</p>
<p><a href="https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/951653/pew-research-ai-chatbot-usage-advancing-too-quickly">Read the full story at The Verge.</a></p>
# Two-thirds of Americans think AI is advancing too quickly
Source: [https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/951653/pew-research-ai-chatbot-usage-advancing-too-quickly](https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/951653/pew-research-ai-chatbot-usage-advancing-too-quickly)
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Terrence O'Brien
is the Verge’s weekend editor\. He’s covered the tech industry for over 18 years and knows a thing or two about synths\.
According to the[latest Pew Research poll](https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2026/06/17/americans-and-ai-2026-chatbots-smart-devices-and-views-on-impact/), 49 percent of Americans report using chatbots at least occasionally, but 63 percent think the tech is advancing too quickly\. Overall, use of AI chatbots has increased dramatically since 2024, when only 33 percent reported using them\. Specifically, ChatGPT’s usage has doubled since 2023, with 44 percent of respondents saying they’ve used it\. But opinions[remain](https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/644853/pew-gallup-data-americans-dont-trust-ai)[negative](https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/780184/pew-research-americans-want-ai-out-of-their-personal-lives), with only 16 percent saying that AI will have a positive impact on society\.
Interestingly, it’s the younger generations who both report using AI more and who are inclined to have a[more pessimistic view](https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/920401/gen-z-ai)\. 66 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 report using chatbots, but 48 percent of the same age group believe AI will have a negative impact, and just 14 percent believe it will have a positive one\. Progressively older generations report using chatbots less, but also have a less negative opinion of it\.
[](https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/roughly_two-thirds_of_americans_say_ai_is_advancing_too_quickly.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100)
Image: Pew Research Center
While the youngest respondents were most likely to have used AI at all, it’s those in the age 30 to 49 bracket who use it most, with 34 percent saying they turn to chatbots once a day or more\. This is potentially driven in part by the fact that roughly four in ten Americans reported using AI for[work tasks](https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/619255/pew-research-poll-ai-chatbot-workers-poll-october-2024)\. 30 percent of Americans think that AI makes them more productive, and 28 percent believe it helps them be more informed\.[Though](https://www.theverge.com/2024/12/3/24312016/chatgpt-search-results-review-inaccurate-unpredictable),[as we know](https://www.theverge.com/tech/937425/googles-ai-is-sometimes-confused-if-2027-is-next-year),[information](https://www.theverge.com/tech/936176/google-ai-overviews-search-disregard)[served up](https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/24/24164119/google-ai-overview-mistakes-search-race-openai)[by AI](https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/30/24168344/google-defends-ai-overviews-search-results)[can be](https://www.theverge.com/news/661422/openai-chatgpt-sycophancy-update-what-went-wrong)[questionable](https://www.thedailybeast.com/metas-galactica-bot-is-the-most-dangerous-thing-it-has-made-yet/)\([at best](https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/928691/openai-chatgpt-wrongful-death-overdose)\), and in Pew’s 2024 study,[66 percent](https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2025/04/03/views-of-risks-opportunities-and-regulation-of-ai/)of US adults said they were concerned about AI spreading inaccurate information\.
[](https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/younger_adults_are_more_wary_of_ais_potential_impact_on_society_and_on_them_than_older_groups.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100)
Image: Pew Research Center
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- Terrence O'Brien
A Pew Research study reveals that only 16% of Americans believe AI will have a positive societal impact over the next 20 years, with younger people the most skeptical and a majority feeling AI development is too fast. Despite this, ChatGPT usage has doubled since 2023, with 44% of U.S. adults now using it.
A new Pew Research Center survey reveals a sharp divide between AI experts and the US public, with most Americans distrusting AI and feeling powerless over its use. Separate Gallup data shows Gen Z heavily uses AI tools but feels anxious about them.
A survey by Elon University indicates that many Americans are concerned about AI leading to a loss of critical thinking and human agency, highlighting the need for training focused on human skills.
A Gallup survey commissioned by Microsoft shows that 68% of Americans who use AI daily are worried about it, with Western countries expressing higher concern compared to optimistic views in places like Singapore and China.