First HAPI Poll: Americans Deeply Distrust AI Developers
Nina Schick and Nico Jaspers, co-founder of Nira Data, released and discussed the first HAPI (Human AI Perception Index) poll, one of the most comprehensive surveys of American attitudes toward AI. It shows widespread public distrust of AI and its developers, though a large share remains undecided — the battle for hearts and minds over AI is far from over.
Confirmed
- 48% of respondents view AI negatively, with 29% "very negative" — nearly double the positive share — while 28% remain undecided.
- Over two-thirds of Americans trust no major AI developer (model and compute providers); 69% lack confidence that AI companies will act responsibly, with only 13% expressing confidence.
- Seven in ten Americans want mandatory independent safety audits before new models are released.
- 55% believe AI will make society worse over the next decade; only 10% of Americans use AI daily.
- 64% oppose data centers being built near their homes, showing negative sentiment extending to AI infrastructure.
- Analysis shows extremely low public awareness of AI leaders (Sam Altman, Dario Amodei) and products (Claude, Grok); resistance stems from broad distrust of big tech and institutions rather than specific figures.
Why it matters
- The poll exposes a huge gap between industry narratives and public perception: optimistic AI messaging contrasts sharply with public pessimism and distrust.
- Opposition to local data centers (64%) signals that distrust has spread from models and companies to physical infrastructure, potentially complicating AI buildout plans.
- The 28% undecided share leaves substantial room for attitudes to shift; since resistance targets big tech broadly rather than specific companies or people, the industry must respond with real commitments to trust, transparency and safety to win the "hearts and minds" contest.
2026-08-21 ~ 2026-08-23 · 11 related posts
Primary sources
- Poll shows Americans distrust AI developers, but battle for minds remains open — NinaDSchick · 2026-08-21
- Poll: Nearly Half of Americans View AI Negatively — NinaDSchick · 2026-08-21
- 55% of Americans think AI will make society worse, only 10% use it daily — NinaDSchick · 2026-08-21
- Poll: over two thirds of Americans trust none of the major AI developers — NinaDSchick · 2026-08-21
- [source] Poll: 64% of Americans oppose local data centers — NinaDSchick · 2026-08-21
- Data reveals: Americans don't know AI leaders, feel forced into adoption — NinaDSchick · 2026-08-23
5 near-duplicate retellings: NinaDSchick · NinaDSchick · NinaDSchick · NinaDSchick · NinaDSchick