Anthropic Survey Reveals Public's AI Hopes and Fears
Peter Zhang Jun 12, 2026 16:33
Anthropic's first Public Record survey finds Americans hopeful about AI’s potential but concerned about jobs, dependency, and accountability.
Anthropic has released results from its first Public Record survey, capturing how Americans feel about artificial intelligence. Conducted from November to December 2025 with nearly 52,000 respondents, the survey highlights both optimism for AI’s benefits and deep concerns about its risks.
What Americans Want from AI
The survey found that 48% of respondents hope AI will be used to cure diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s, making it the top priority. Helping people with disabilities ranked second at 36%, while more general advancements, such as making life easier, followed at 23%. In contrast, lower-ranked hopes included AI’s potential for emotional support, such as therapy and reducing loneliness.
The Risks That Worry Americans
Job loss topped the list of AI fears, with 64% of Americans concerned it could displace workers. Cognitive dependency, or reliance on AI to the point of diminished critical thinking, followed at 56%, while misinformation ranked third at 52%. Interestingly, these concerns cut across political, geographic, and educational lines, showing a broad consensus about the potential challenges AI poses.
Accountability and Regulation
The survey underscores Americans’ distrust of AI companies, with only 15% expressing confidence in those firms to make responsible decisions. By contrast, over 70% of respondents support government regulation of AI, with particular focus on privacy (56%), child safety (52%), and liability for harm (49%). This bipartisan support for oversight reflects heightened public demand for accountability as AI adoption accelerates.
Who’s Most Concerned About Job Loss?
While fear of job displacement spans all demographics, it is particularly pronounced among those with postgraduate degrees and people who rarely use AI. For example, 70% of non-users worry about job loss, compared to 54% of daily AI users. This suggests that hands-on familiarity with AI may reduce anxiety by exposing users to its limitations and potential as a productivity tool.
Anthropic’s Broader Research Efforts
This survey builds on Anthropic’s other data initiatives, such as the 81,000-interview study conducted with its AI tool Claude, and the Economic Index Survey, which tracks AI’s impact on labor markets. These efforts aim to provide a comprehensive view of how AI is perceived and used globally.
What’s Next?
Anthropic plans to repeat the Public Record survey regularly, expanding its scope and tracking changes in public opinion as AI technologies evolve. The company also intends to extend the survey beyond the U.S., offering a more global perspective on AI governance and adoption.
For policymakers and industry leaders, this inaugural survey sends a clear message: while Americans are optimistic about AI’s potential, they demand strong safeguards to ensure its benefits outweigh its risks.
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