Gallup Global Poll: Curiosity About AI Outpaces Fear, With China and US Poles Apart
A Gallup–Microsoft global opinion survey shows the public worldwide is far more curious than fearful about AI, but attitudes in China and the US are sharply polarized: China ranks first globally in optimism, while the US falls among the most pessimistic countries. Commentators have seized on the data to frame it as a question of national competitiveness.
Confirmed
- The Gallup–Microsoft 2026 world opinion survey currently covers 37 countries (eventually 140); across the 37, the medians are: 81% have heard of AI, and over half of respondents have never used it
- Among adults aware of AI, China leads the world with 90% expressing positive feelings toward AI
- Positive sentiment outweighs negative sentiment in 34 countries
- 93% of Chinese respondents believe AI will help their country, versus only 36% of Americans
- A chart shared by Reddit users shows China, Singapore, and Israel viewing AI positively, while the US, Afghanistan, and Malawi view it negatively, revealing a sentiment divide between developed and less-developed markets as well as between China and the US
Why it matters
- dhh cited the 93%-vs-36% gap, calling it a "terrifying number" for America; Dan Jeffries wrote a piece arguing that American AI fear is spillover from "darkness deep in the American soul," poisoning the discussion, and framed the optimism gap as a matter of national competitiveness
- The survey also shows that most people worldwide have heard of AI but never used it, indicating a significant gap between public sentiment and actual usage experience—suggesting the sentiment divide stems more from perception than experience
2026-09-24 ~ 2026-09-24 · 6 related posts
Primary sources
- Gallup: positive feelings toward AI outweigh negative in 34 of 37 countries, yet 57% have never used it — rohanpaul_ai ·
- Gallup: 90% of AI-aware adults in China report positive feelings about AI, world-leading — Polymarket ·
- 93% of Chinese believe AI will help their country vs 36% of Americans — and that gap may decide the race — Dan_Jeffries1 ·
- [source] Gallup: positive feelings toward AI outweigh negative in 34 of 37 countries, yet 57% have never used it — rohanpaul_ai · 2026-09-24
- China, Singapore, Israel View AI Positively; US and Others Negative, Chart Shows — chessboardtable · 2026-09-24
- New poll: China ranks #1 in AI optimism while the US sits in the bottom 5 — Cagnazzo82 · 2026-09-24
- [source] 93% of Chinese believe AI will help their country vs 36% of Americans — and that gap may decide the race — Dan_Jeffries1 · 2026-09-24
- [source] Gallup: 90% of AI-aware adults in China report positive feelings about AI, world-leading — Polymarket · 2026-09-24
- Gallup global poll: 72% feel curious or excited about AI vs 41% worried — steipete · 2026-09-24