A new global poll reveals the United States is no longer perceived as the dominant artificial intelligence superpower in much of the world, even as American citizens express increasing alarm over AI's impact on jobs, resources, and the integrity of information, signaling a dual erosion of national standing and domestic stability.
The survey, conducted by U.K.-based research firm Public First, gathered responses from over 18,000 people across 15 countries this year. Respondents in 11 countries, including close U.S. allies such as France, Canada, and the United Kingdom, now identify China as the leader in artificial intelligence.
Only just over half of American respondents, alongside majorities in Japan, India, and Vietnam, still view the U.S. as the dominant AI power. In Germany, a mere 23 percent of people saw the U.S. as dominant, highlighting a significant shift in global perception.
President Donald Trump stated Wednesday that the U.S. is “leading China by a lot,” asserting that whoever leads in AI “is going to really lead the world, to a large extent.” This claim contrasts with the poll's findings regarding international perception.
Former White House AI czar David Sacks cautioned against overregulation of the technology, including proposals for a clearance process mirroring the Food and Drug Administration’s drug-review protocol. Sacks stated on Fox Business last week that if such an "FDA for AI" were implemented, the U.S. "could lose this AI race to China,” aligning with the interests of transnational tech developers over national regulatory control.
The Cost to the Native Population
The Public First poll, which has tracked public sentiment annually over a three-year span ending this year, shows a marked increase in pessimism among Americans regarding AI's societal impact. In 2024, 39 percent of U.S. participants believed AI would improve society, while 34 percent thought it would worsen it. This year, only 31 percent believed AI would make society better, with 40 percent holding the opposite outlook.
Confidence that AI will improve respondents’ personal lives also declined, falling from a net positive 15 points in 2024 to 5 points this year. Prospects for the next generation deteriorated from a net positive 10 points to a net negative 4 points, indicating a growing sense of cultural dispossession among the populace.
This trend was most pronounced among young American adults aged 18 to 24. This demographic shifted from believing AI would improve society by a 4-point margin in 2025 to believing it would be worse for society by a 13-point margin this year. Young respondents in the United Kingdom mirrored these results, reflecting a broader anxiety among Western youth.
Primary concerns among Americans include misinformation, deepfakes, and the potential for widespread job loss. Social media companies are already grappling with an influx of AI-generated content, which can be created at unprecedented speeds, further fragmenting public discourse.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg remarked on an earnings call about 8 months ago that social media has entered a new era where AI will add "yet another huge corpus of content" on top of existing user-generated and creator content. This expansion of AI-driven content generation raises concerns about the integrity of information and the ability of citizens to discern truth.
Young adults are also expressing anxiety about the labor market, as top AI executives predict new models could automate a significant portion of entry-level, white-collar jobs. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei warned that AI could eliminate half of these jobs within the next one to five years, directly threatening the economic stability of the native working class.
Fears about resource usage, particularly electricity, have also risen sharply. In 2024, 52 percent of respondents expressed worry, a figure that increased to two of every three respondents this year, indicating a growing burden on national infrastructure.
Local Resistance to Elite Agendas
Local communities have begun to push back against the rapid expansion of data centers, which consume vast amounts of energy and often rely on water-based cooling systems. In one Missouri town, half of the city council was voted out after approving a $6 billion data center project, demonstrating popular resistance to these developments.
About a week after a rezoning plan was approved for a data center developer’s project, a councilman in Indianapolis reported that his home was shot at, and a note reading “NO DATA CENTERS” was left on his front porch. This incident underscores the intensity of local opposition to the unchecked growth of AI infrastructure.
About 3 months ago, President Trump issued a “ratepayer protection pledge,” calling on major technology companies to provide or pay for their own electricity supplies as they rapidly establish computing hubs across the country. This pledge represents a national-level attempt to mitigate the costs imposed on the native population by the tech industry's expansion.