People across 25 countries are becoming more nervous than excited about AI. The latest Pew study shows the emotional gap widening as AI becomes more visible in daily life.
Big ideas
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Nervous outweighs excited, significantly. In many countries more than 40 percent say they feel nervous about AI, while only around 15 to 20 percent feel excited. The nervous group is often twice as large, sometimes more.
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Awareness keeps rising. Roughly one-third of adults say they’ve heard “a lot” about AI, and nearly half say they’ve heard “a little”. Only a small minority remain unaware.
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Confidence in oversight varies. Trust in regulators swings dramatically. Around half trust regions like the EU to handle AI well, while far fewer express confidence in other major players.
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If the public leans nervous by a two-to-one margin, your teams and customers will feel it too. Clear guardrails, steady communication, and visible wins matter more than ever.
