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🚨 NetChoice/Echelon Insights Poll: Voters Rank AI Regulation Far Behind Cost of Living, Want One National AI Standard
WASHINGTON – Heading into the final week of the midterms, voters place regulating artificial intelligence (AI) near the bottom of their priorities, according to a new NetChoice survey conducted by Echelon Insights. Asked to choose the top issues for policymakers, 55% of likely voters named inflation and the cost of living and only 9% named regulating AI.
On the question of who should write AI rules, voters favor a single national approach. 68% say Congress should set national AI rules that apply in every state, compared with 19% who say states should set their own, and majorities of Republicans (65%), Independents (64%) and Democrats (72%) agree.
"Washington has spent recent months treating AI regulation as a leading voter concern, but voters say kitchen table issues, like inflation and jobs, are far more worthy of government attention," said @RobPWJ, Vice President of Public Affairs at NetChoice. "On AI, over two-thirds of voters (68%) want the clarity of a national framework rather than a state-by-state patchwork."
KEY FINDINGS:
1. Cost of living leads. 55% named inflation and the cost of living as a top priority, followed by jobs and the economy (25%), ending the war with Iran (22%) and healthcare costs (20%). Groceries are the top pressure on household finances (66%) and the top area voters want the federal government to focus on when working to lower prices (62%).
2. AI regulation ranks low. 9% named regulating AI as a top priority, and only 2% named breaking up large tech companies.
3. Voters use AI and find it helpful. Half of voters (50%) use AI at least a few times a week. Among those who use it, 46% say it has been extremely or very helpful in their daily life or work.
4. Enforce existing law first. A plurality (48%) say existing laws on fraud, discrimination, privacy and consumer protection should be enforced before new AI-specific laws are written, while 41% want new laws now.
5. Consumer-focused antitrust has broad support. 76% support applying the consumer welfare standard in antitrust enforcement and 7% oppose it. 90% agree antitrust laws should be written and enforced equally on all companies.
6. Breaking up large companies should be a low priority for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Voters want the FTC to focus on stopping fraud and scams (49%) and protecting data privacy (41%). Breaking up large American companies ranked last at 15%.
7. American tech leadership matters. 80% agree the country is stronger when the world's leading technology companies are based in the United States. 35% say breaking up America's leading tech companies would hurt the U.S. in the AI race with China, compared with only 22% who say it would help.
8. Voters reject losing features to EU-style rules. 52% oppose bringing European antitrust regulations to the U.S. if it meant losing access to convenient features they use today, and only 27% support it.
9. Support for data centers rises with information. Support for a data center planned in voters' own county rises from 33% to 44% after they hear more about data centers, and opposition falls from 58% to 48%. 54% agree that keeping data center development growing is key to American national security after being told data centers power hospitals, companies and the military, and 48% say they would be more likely to support new data center investment after learning that major tech companies have committed to pay for the electricity and grid upgrades their facilities require.
WASHINGTON – Heading into the final week of the midterms, voters place regulating artificial intelligence (AI) near the bottom of their priorities, according to a new NetChoice survey conducted by Echelon Insights. Asked to choose the top issues for policymakers, 55% of likely voters named inflation and the cost of living and only 9% named regulating AI.
On the question of who should write AI rules, voters favor a single national approach. 68% say Congress should set national AI rules that apply in every state, compared with 19% who say states should set their own, and majorities of Republicans (65%), Independents (64%) and Democrats (72%) agree.
"Washington has spent recent months treating AI regulation as a leading voter concern, but voters say kitchen table issues, like inflation and jobs, are far more worthy of government attention," said @RobPWJ, Vice President of Public Affairs at NetChoice. "On AI, over two-thirds of voters (68%) want the clarity of a national framework rather than a state-by-state patchwork."
KEY FINDINGS:
1. Cost of living leads. 55% named inflation and the cost of living as a top priority, followed by jobs and the economy (25%), ending the war with Iran (22%) and healthcare costs (20%). Groceries are the top pressure on household finances (66%) and the top area voters want the federal government to focus on when working to lower prices (62%).
2. AI regulation ranks low. 9% named regulating AI as a top priority, and only 2% named breaking up large tech companies.
3. Voters use AI and find it helpful. Half of voters (50%) use AI at least a few times a week. Among those who use it, 46% say it has been extremely or very helpful in their daily life or work.
4. Enforce existing law first. A plurality (48%) say existing laws on fraud, discrimination, privacy and consumer protection should be enforced before new AI-specific laws are written, while 41% want new laws now.
5. Consumer-focused antitrust has broad support. 76% support applying the consumer welfare standard in antitrust enforcement and 7% oppose it. 90% agree antitrust laws should be written and enforced equally on all companies.
6. Breaking up large companies should be a low priority for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Voters want the FTC to focus on stopping fraud and scams (49%) and protecting data privacy (41%). Breaking up large American companies ranked last at 15%.
7. American tech leadership matters. 80% agree the country is stronger when the world's leading technology companies are based in the United States. 35% say breaking up America's leading tech companies would hurt the U.S. in the AI race with China, compared with only 22% who say it would help.
8. Voters reject losing features to EU-style rules. 52% oppose bringing European antitrust regulations to the U.S. if it meant losing access to convenient features they use today, and only 27% support it.
9. Support for data centers rises with information. Support for a data center planned in voters' own county rises from 33% to 44% after they hear more about data centers, and opposition falls from 58% to 48%. 54% agree that keeping data center development growing is key to American national security after being told data centers power hospitals, companies and the military, and 48% say they would be more likely to support new data center investment after learning that major tech companies have committed to pay for the electricity and grid upgrades their facilities require.
