New Report: “AI Across America: Attitudes on AI Usage, Job Impact, and Federal Regulation”
Half of U.S. adults report using at least one “major AI tool,” but public attitudes about artificial intelligence regulation remain divided nationwide, according to a new survey.
The 50-state report, published as part of the multiuniversity Civic Health and Institutions Project (CHIP50), found that views about how and whether to rein in AI tools don’t follow typical red-blue state divides. Missouri and Washington, for example, expressed the strongest views about a lack of regulatory oversight, while New York and Tennessee were most worried about government overreach.
But concerns about workplace disruption are nearly universal. Majorities in all 50 states expect AI to impact their jobs within five years, especially in tech-heavy and Sun Belt states such as California, Massachusetts, Texas and Georgia. Meanwhile, regions like the Corn Belt and Rust Belt anticipate less immediate disruption.
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The study found that among AI tools, ChatGPT stands out, with 65% of Americans recognizing the name and 37% reporting they’ve used it. Gemini was next at 26%, then Microsoft Copilot at 18%. Notably, actual usage rates lag far behind name recognition — 65% of respondents recognize ChatGPT, for example, but only about half report using it.
But frequent everyday use remains concentrated among a small slice of users, and awareness of AI consistently outpaces actual use across all platforms, the study says.
From the Report:
Key Takeaways
● Artificial intelligence has reached a tipping point in American society: half of U.S. adults (50%) report using at least one major AI tool. State-level adoption is widespread, with every state except West Virginia (33%) reporting usage levels of at least 40%.
● Expectations of workplace disruption are nearly universal, with substantial majorities across all 50 states anticipating AI will impact their jobs within five years, suggesting that Americans recognize AI as a transformative force that will reshape the economy and society. In every single state, the percentage of people who are concerned about too little regulation outweighs those who worry about too much regulation.
● Yet, with more than one-third remaining uncertain about appropriate regulatory approaches, Americans have not formed settled views on AI governance. Regulatory attitudes vary geographically, but they do not follow the nation’s usual red‑blue divide.
● Geographic patterns reveal coastal knowledge economy hubs like California, New York, and Massachusetts, along with Sun Belt states such as Texas, Georgia, and Florida, leading in anticipated workplace AI impact, while agricultural Corn Belt and Rust Belt regions from Iowa to West Virginia report lower expectations.
● The data expose deep demographic fault lines, with younger, more educated, higher-income Americans driving AI adoption while rural, older, and lower-income populations lag substantially behind.
● ChatGPT dominates the AI landscape with 65% recognition and 37% usage rates, but a consistent pattern emerges across all AI tools: awareness significantly outpaces actual usage of the tools, and everyday frequent usage remains concentrated among a small fraction of users.
Direct to Download Full Text Report
21 pages; PDF.
Filed under: Data Files, Jobs, News, Patrons and Users
About Gary Price
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area. He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit. Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com.
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