27% of Americans Want Nothing to Do with AI. The Question Is Why.
- S B
- Oct 11
- 4 min read
AI. AI. AI.
It's everywhere. Even in places where you don't realize it. And despite its growing presence, many people are still uncomfortable. According to Pew Research Center, 27% of Americans want nothing to do with AI. They're often called resistant or adversarial to AI. But perhaps those terms are too judgmental.
After all, did society not frown on parents who wanted to homeschool their kids in the 90s, only now to see that movement reach new heights? Did society not roll its eyes at veganism, which is now seen as a healthy alternative for living?
Is it the same with AI?
Are those who resist it on the right side of history?
Are those of us who adopt it betting on the wrong horse?
A Different Kind of Technology
Artificial intelligence is different from other technologies, not because it's new or because it's divisive, but because it's a cognitive technology. Wheels allowed us to cover greater distances. Microscopes allowed us to see beneath the surfaces of the natural world. Both were extensions of physical capability. But AI is different. AI allows us to think more or think less, depending on how we use it. It simulates cognition, and by doing so it encroaches on the very definition of what it means to be human.
So why are so many Americans resistant to AI? Is it a sense of loss of control? In the same report by the Pew Research Center, only 17% of survey respondents said they felt they had some control over AI involvement in their daily lives. This means that the vast majority of people feel powerless toward the adoption of the technology.
The Merits of Fear
It's easy to dismiss fears around technology as people being old-fashioned or resistant to change. But while change is constant, it doesn't always lead to good outcomes.
When we consider the impact of AI technologies thus far, we see the promise while also grappling with the peril. We have easy access to AI tools that help us write and create, yet that same ease allows anyone to generate synthetic media, including voices, images, and videos of real people without their consent.
So maybe the resistance isn't unfounded, and the fear isn't without merit.
But is fear the healthiest response to technological disruption? The internet triggered fears with its arrival, and now it's deeply embedded into everyday life. Were the fears of the internet unwarranted or unrealized?
The Access Divide
Let's look at one specific example.
During the pandemic, I read a news article about siblings who went to a local McDonald's each day for Wi-Fi access to complete their school assignments. It caught my attention because it opened my eyes to something I had not considered before. If a child has no internet at home, that child is at a disadvantage in learning, especially when schools incorporate independent online assignments into course requirements.
The internet brought convenience but not equal access. Will AI not do the same? What happens when lack of access to AI technologies leads to lack of access to resources like education and gainful employment?
So again, is the fear without merit? Or is there lived history and wisdom among the 27% who know that some of us will be left behind during the AI revolution? We need not look far, as hiring trends already show a decrease in entry-level roles for new college graduates.
It was once said that education is the great equalizer. What happens when access to technology becomes the equalizer?
Why We Engage
So for the 73% willing to engage with AI, what drives our decision? Is it optimism, privilege, hope, or a combination of all three in varying degrees?
We engage because we can.
Some of us understand the tech deeply. Some of us can afford the premium tiers of AI productivity tools and assistants. Some of us simply love technology.
There's no guilt or shame to be expressed for adopting a technology with immense untapped potential that genuinely benefits humans. Adoption isn't a dirty word and neither is non-adoption.
Time to Listen
Technological disruption isn't always easy, and neither is having honest communication. But I believe we should, and we can, take the time to talk with one another through this current digital transformation.
I'm pro AI. But more than that, I'm pro humanity. And when 27% of my neighbors hesitate, it tells me it's time to listen.
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"AI is the tool, but the vision is human." — Sophia B.
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About the Author
Sophia Banton works at the intersection of AI strategy, communication, and human impact. With a background in bioinformatics, public health, and data science, she brings a grounded, cross-disciplinary perspective to the adoption of emerging technologies.
Beyond technical applications, she explores GenAI’s creative potential through storytelling and short-form video, using experimentation to understand how generative models are reshaping narrative, communication, and visual expression.
