A recent report released by the Pew Research Centre, an American think tank studying trends in technology and society, revealed that while most respondents across 25 participating countries are familiar with artificial intelligence, most show at least some level of concern.
Inspired by these findings, we invited our readers to share their thoughts on AI, its rise, personal usage, and the EU’s role as an AI regulator.
Pew’s report found that 42% of respondents were both excited and concerned, while 34% were more concerned than excited. The rest leaning more towards excitement. In our poll, 66% expressed at least some level of worry about AI’s rising role in our lives, with 45% claiming to be very concerned. Meanwhile, only 24% showed at least some excitement, and 10% described themselves as indifferent.
According to Pew, 53% of respondents across all participating countries trust the EU to regulate AI effectively. Among our neighbouring countries, Germany showed the highest level of trust, with 71% of respondents expressing confidence. In France, that figure dropped to 47%.
Luxembourg was not included in Pew’s survey, but our readers expressed even lower levels of trust than Greece, the least trusting EU member in the report. Only 26% of our respondents said they trust the EU’s ability to regulate AI, while more than half expressed no trust at all.
This skepticism comes at a critical time, as the EU is spearheading global AI regulation with its flagship AI Act, which has been in development since 2021 and is now being gradually implemented. The Act’s ambitious efforts have been continuously criticised for regulatory gaps and having been weakened by strong lobbying efforts. Its true effectiveness will only become clear in the coming years following its full implementation.
Despite concerns about AI and its regulators, 68% of our respondents use some form of AI tool on a weekly basis, with 20% using it multiple times a day. Interestingly, only 11% claim to never use AI.
We also asked readers how significant they believe AI’s impact on society will be. Most agree it will be substantial. About 45% believe the impact will be very large, while 40% expect it to be large. Just 1% think AI will have no impact, and the remaining 14% anticipate a small to moderate effect.
As AI becomes more embedded in daily life, its influence is already visible, from how we work to how we communicate. We’re seeing mass layoffs, growing concern over its environmental impact, and increasing attention to its potential effects on mental health. As these issues grow, public discourse about how we use AI tools and its regulatory framework is likely to become even more prominent.
