Survey: 42% of US voters trust the GOP and 40% trust Democrats to handle AI, 61% oppose new data center construction, and <1% say AI is their top midterm issue

Voters want a say in AI development, which shifts the political conversation away from tech industry self-regulation.

A new poll commissioned by Alex Bores' organization, Who Decides, reveals that 42% of US voters trust Republicans and 40% trust Democrats to handle Artificial Intelligence (AI) policy. The survey of 1,502 registered voters found that 61% oppose new data center construction and 86% identify a lack of regulation as a problem, with half believing AI is advancing too rapidly. AI was ranked last among 13 issues voters care about, with fewer than 1% identifying it as their top midterm concern. Only 18% of those polled are concerned about the US falling behind China competitively on AI, contrary to arguments made by some politicians against regulation. The poll also indicated that support for AI regulation correlates with other voter concerns, despite low awareness of specific AI-related incidents like the Hugging Face hack.

The poll indicates a public appetite for government intervention in AI development, with a majority opposing new data center construction and a significant percentage concerned about the pace of AI advancement and the absence of regulation. This suggests that the narrative of AI as solely a competitive race with China, often used to argue against regulation, does not resonate strongly with the general electorate. Instead, voters appear more focused on oversight and controlling the speed of development, potentially empowering calls for stricter governmental policies.

Alex Bores' new organization, Who Decides, aims to unify the Democratic coalition around AI policy, providing messaging support for groups like labor and civil society. This initiative signals a strategic effort to position AI regulation as a broadly appealing issue, moving beyond partisan divides and challenging the tech industry's influence on policy. The organization's focus on crafting unified messages highlights a recognition of the industry's organized opposition and the need for a coordinated response.