Current American Attitudes Toward AI Reflect 1990s Poll Responses on the Internet’s Emergence

Artificial intelligence chat tools such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, and Microsoft’s Copilot have seen significant public adoption, according to the latest NBC News Decision Desk Poll powered by SurveyMonkey. An impressive 74% of adults report having used one of these tools at some point, with 44% indicating that they use them “sometimes” or “often.”

Despite this rising acceptance, the future prevalence of AI tools like those from OpenAI and Google remains uncertain. Polling data reveals that current usage rates for AI chat tools mirror the internet adoption rates from the turn of the century.

However, the growth trajectory and the unique challenges AI faces differ markedly from those experienced during the early internet era. For instance, a Newsweek poll from October 1998 found that only 38% of respondents used the internet once a week or more.

By June 2000, the landscape shifted dramatically; an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll indicated that 71% of adults had internet access, with three-quarters of that group utilizing it for at least one hour each week. Since then, internet usage has only escalated, to the point where daily use is now a more relevant measure than weekly frequency.

Public discussions increasingly focus on the necessary limitations regarding internet access. The NBC News Decision Desk Poll further illuminates how public reservations influence attitudes toward AI adoption.

In the recent survey, 47% of respondents asserted that schools prohibiting AI usage would better prepare students for the future. This view is even shared by some of the most frequent AI chat tool users—20% of those who use these tools “often” believe that banning them in the classroom would be beneficial.

In light of societal concerns about the rapid expansion of technology, it seems we may be entering a new phase of technological caution. Yet, it is crucial to recognize that public sentiment towards emerging technologies does not always align with a desire for widespread adoption.