The 'AI vibe check' shows Americans haven't completely turned on AI, but it's not getting better. (www.businessinsider.com)

A new survey by Jason Jones, a computational social scientist at Stony Brook University, examines American attitudes towards artificial intelligence (AI) through an ongoing project he terms an "AI vibe check." Since February 2024, he has surveyed a small sample of respondents daily about their support for further AI development, revealing that public sentiment remains ambivalent and has slightly cooled. While the tracker indicates a net-positive support for AI development, the average approval rating has declined from a peak of 1.57 in April 2025 to just 0.53 in the early part of 2026, hinting at a growing public wariness regarding AI's implications. This trend is significant for the AI/ML community as it reflects the complex interplay between public sentiment and technological advancement. As discussions intensify about the potential risks of AI—including existential threats and the AI race with China—many respondents express more immediate concerns related to job security, privacy, and environmental impacts rather than abstract fears of superintelligent systems. This nuanced view suggests that while the public recognizes the risks associated with AI, there remains a substantial portion that sees the potential benefits, indicating that the conversation around regulation, ethical development, and societal impact will be essential moving forward.