Lately, I’ve been seeing a lot of concern among technology enthusiasts that Americans are turning against progress. One specific issue driving this worry is the growing skepticism about artificial intelligence, and especially the backlash against data centers.
I think it’s a mistake to read Americans’ AI concerns or even their broader negative outlook about the future as anti-progress. People are anxious about what lies ahead, and our nation does have a pessimism problem. Not to mention the individuals developing AI are themselves suggesting that it will cause mass unemployment and possibly human extinction. Despite all of this, Americans still possess the fundamentals of a progress-oriented mindset.
Most Americans oppose the construction of data centers in their local communities. A recent poll found that 75% don’t want data centers built in their area. Notably, though this sentiment is a little stronger on the left, it is largely bipartisan. Majorities of Democrats, Independents, and Republicans oppose data centers that power AI technology being built near them. Who said Americans can’t find common ground across political divides?
Americans also appear to be growing skeptical about AI in general. Pew surveys show that starting around 2023, there was a significant increase in the percentage of Americans who report that the use of AI in daily life makes them more concerned than excited. In 2022, 38% indicated they were more concerned than excited. This shot up to 52% in 2023 and has hovered around that number since.
I predict that the backlash against AI will grow stronger. A Politico poll conducted this week found that nearly two-thirds of Americans think there is a real risk that AI will destroy humanity.
But this isn’t just about AI. In our research at the Archbridge Institute’s Human Flourishing Lab, we find that Americans are evenly split on their general outlook for the future. In one survey, we found that just 52% of Americans believe that humans will make significant progress on major societal and global challenges in the coming decades, and life will be better for future generations. The other half has a more pessimistic outlook. They believe we will fail to make progress on major issues and think life will be worse in the future.
These statistics seem to support the assertion that Americans are losing faith in progress, but they are only part of the story. Other results from our research paint a more encouraging picture.
Start with the personal agency that is fundamental to building and sustaining a free and flourishing society. Ninety percent of Americans believe they have the ability to exercise meaningful control over their own lives. And strong majorities believe they have the responsibility (79%) and power (74%) to make the kinds of contributions that improve the world. A smaller percentage (64%) think they are currently using their abilities, talents, or skills to improve the world. Even though Americans are worried about the future, most believe they can have a positive impact on it.
This mindset extends beyond the belief in personal agency that mobilizes individuals to help build a better world. Nearly 90% of Americans feel grateful for the efforts and accomplishments of past generations that gave them the quality of life they enjoy today. Three-fourths or more agree that America’s global leadership (75%), cultural emphasis on optimism and possibility (76%), business achievements (78%), and scientific research (84%) have been crucial for advancing progress.
This isn’t merely a sentiment about the past. Eighty-five percent believe that historical examples of major breakthroughs give us good reason to think we can solve today’s problems and build a better future, and 83% report that the efforts and accomplishments of previous generations inspire them to make contributions that will make life better for future generations. In addition, 79% believe that going forward, America’s contributions will remain vital for human progress.
In short, a more complete analysis reveals that Americans have serious concerns about the future and the specific emerging technologies that are helping shape it, worries that are increasingly voiced by the very people who are building these technologies. Yet most Americans still believe progress is real, that it can continue, and that they, as individuals and as a nation, have a role to play in ensuring it does.
There is a lot of doom and gloom in our media and public discourse, and we certainly have real psychological, cultural, and economic challenges. But underneath the fears and frustrations that get so much attention, you can still find a country that hasn’t given up on the future.
Have a great weekend!
Clay