AI News Distrust
New Poll Indicates Most Americans Distrust AI for Politics, Current Events News
A majority of Americans do not trust artificial intelligence to give them accurate, unbiased information about politics and current events, according to a new poll by Noble Predictive Insights. The survey found that 57% of Americans distrust AI for news — a striking number at a time when AI tools are spreading rapidly across everyday life.
The finding lands as separate research from the Reuters Institute shows that only 20% of people globally trust news delivered by AI chatbots. In the U.S., just 25% of people say they trust news most of the time — from any source.
Americans Use AI But Don't Believe What It Says
There is a sharp gap between using AI and trusting it. Pew Research Center found that 49% of U.S. adults now use AI chatbots — up from 33% in 2024. But 63% of those same Americans say the technology is advancing "too quickly." Only 13% use chatbots specifically to get news.
Among people who actually use AI for news, trust jumps to 44%, compared to just 17% among non-users, according to the Reuters Institute. Researchers say much of the distrust may come from unfamiliarity — a "fear of the unknown" — rather than direct bad experiences with the technology.
Public Sees AI Companies as Threats, Not Helpers
Americans are deeply skeptical of who controls AI. A Bentley-Gallup survey found that 79% of Americans do not trust companies to use AI responsibly. Most people say the top motives for AI companies are corporate profit and job replacement — not making life easier, according to CBS News.
Economic fear runs deep. The same Bentley-Gallup survey found that 75% of Americans believe AI will decrease the total number of jobs. Meanwhile, 70% oppose building AI data centers in their local communities, according to Gallup. That local resistance could slow the physical expansion of AI infrastructure across the country.
Government Inaction Fuels Distrust in AI Oversight
Most Americans think the government is falling behind. The Annenberg Public Policy Center found that 65% of Americans believe the government has done "too little" to regulate AI. Democrats, Republicans, and Independents broadly agree on this — making it one of the rare bipartisan issues in U.S. politics today.
Real-world cases have added fuel to the fire. California's government admitted in 2026 that it uses "high-risk" AI systems for decision-making — after previously saying it used none, according to CalMatters. Stories like this have made it harder for the public to believe that AI is being deployed honestly and openly.
AI Distrust Shapes the Road to the 2026 Midterms
The politics of AI are becoming urgent. A survey by Anchor Change found that 81% of voters want political candidates to have a clear plan for handling AI. With midterm elections approaching, candidates who ignore the issue may pay a price at the polls.
News organizations face their own reckoning. The Reuters Institute reported that for the first time in 2026, social media and video platforms like TikTok and YouTube have surpassed traditional news websites as the main way people get news. Richard Fletcher, Director of Research at the Reuters Institute, said the shift is happening alongside "increasing" concerns about trust and misinformation — not despite them.
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