Artificial Intelligence

Half the Public Wants To Pause AI. Would Regulation Actually Make It Safer?

A new poll finds widespread support for slowing advanced AI, but government controls could create risks of their own.

Reem Ibrahim | 9.24.2026 10:27 AM

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As leaders from across the globe gather in New York to discuss matters of national security, public opinion is turning against AI. About half of adults across six Western countries say "AI is now good enough" and support a pause in advancement to reduce risks, according to a new Politico poll.

The poll, which was conducted by Public First, asked more than 2,000 respondents in each of the six countries—the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, and Germany—what they thought about the potential risks associated with advanced AI. In the United States, 78 percent of respondents say there is a risk that advanced AI could "destroy humanity," with only 7 percent saying there is no risk at all. The majority of Americans (51 percent) say that AI industry leaders argue that "there is a real risk that AI will kill us all" because they genuinely believe it.

In each country surveyed, more respondents favored pausing development of more advanced AI than continuing it—51 percent in the United Kingdom, 50 percent in Canada, 48 percent in France and the United States, 47 percent in Spain, and 45 percent in Germany.

Attitudes shift slightly when the prospect of falling behind other countries is presented. In the U.S., 43 percent of respondents said........

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