Rising AI Use, Rising Calls for Action

Fathom’s latest report, Rising AI Use, Rising Calls for Action, explores American public opinion on AI three years after ChatGPT brought generative AI into public discourse. This report follows our inaugural report, AI at the Crossroads: Public Sentiment and Policy Solutions, and reveals how Americans use AI, what excites and concerns them most, and who they trust to shape the future of this technology. The report draws on national polling including more than 2,036 interviews, as well as focus groups across the political spectrum in California and Ohio.

The public’s message is clear: AI use has surged, yet Americans remain ambivalent about its trajectory. While positive sentiment has ticked up, concern has also increased — particularly around jobs and education. Most significantly, Americans express strong demand for oversight but trust independent experts far more than government or industry to deliver it.

This report reveals both the challenge and the opportunity: establishing governance frameworks that can address public concerns while preserving the innovation that makes AI transformative.