Public skepticism toward artificial intelligence is deepening across the United States, even as tech companies pour billions of dollars into the technology. Protests, lawsuits, political campaigns, and union contracts are emerging as tools for people pushing back against an industry that many Americans feel is moving too fast and ignoring their concerns.
A 2025 Pew poll found that five times as many Americans are concerned about AI as are excited about it. A Gallup survey found that 80 percent of Americans want rules for AI, even if that means the technology develops more slowly. Meanwhile, adoption has stalled: in the fourth quarter of 2025, 38 percent of employees told Gallup that their workplace had integrated AI — a number essentially unchanged from the previous quarter. A large survey by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that 80 percent of firms reported AI was having no impact on their productivity.
Sam Altman, chief executive of OpenAI, acknowledged the situation at a recent conference. “Looking at what’s possible, it does feel sort of surprisingly slow,” he said, referring to AI’s spread into culture and the economy. Jensen Huang, chief executive of chipmaker Nvidia, blamed critics for what he called a “doomer narrative” that he says is damaging public confidence in the technology.
Resistance takes many forms
Opposition to AI is coming from across the political spectrum and from many walks of life:
- Activists have stalled $98 billion in data center projects in a single quarter, according to researchers at Data Center Watch, citing concerns about electricity costs, water use, and noise pollution.
- Nurses at 17 hospital facilities won contract protections requiring hospitals to give registered nurses a say in how AI technologies are implemented in patient care.
- A filmmaker runs a film festival in Los Angeles that exclusively showcases movies made without AI.
- A former Google engineer left the company and now organizes tech workers around concerns including AI’s use in military contracts.
- Faith leaders are holding forums warning about AI’s effect on community bonds and teenagers’ mental health.
- Political candidates are making data center restrictions a campaign issue.
The electricity costs associated with AI data centers have become a flashpoint. Studies show that residents in counties with data centers are facing higher power bills, as infrastructure upgrade costs are passed to consumers. In Georgia, the state’s Public Service Commission approved six rate hikes between 2023 and 2025.
Tech companies have responded with some concessions. Microsoft, Anthropic, and OpenAI have pledged to pay more for electricity costs. But critics say these steps are insufficient. “I’m not sure we can trust these guys as an industry overall to make changes without further pressure,” said Maria Raine, whose family sued OpenAI after her son’s death.
Financial analysts note that the AI boom shares features with past speculative bubbles. “I can’t really remember a boom with such active hostility to it,” said William Quinn, co-author of a history of financial bubbles. Unlike previous technology booms — where the public could participate directly, as with the dot-com era — most people experience AI as something imposed on them rather than something they chose.
Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella has recognized the challenge. Speaking at the Davos economics forum, he warned that AI risks losing “social permission” to operate if people do not see it improving their lives.
Sources: Time Magazine, New York Times
