AI is getting more useful and people trust it less

pew research indicates that 52% of americans are now more concerned than excited about ai, up from 37% in 2021, signaling that the industry's reputation is deteriorating as its influence expands. this unease is manifesting as concrete business obstacles, exemplified by the wall street journal's report that firms must subsidize community investments—such as $50,000 teacher bonuses—to secure approval for new data centers. cnbc data suggests the distrust is deep and personal, with a majority of young respondents distrusting specific ai ceos, while 70% of voters feel the technology is advancing too quickly. rather than acceptance, the market is seeing a rise in 'retro tech' and offline activities, indicating that consumers understand ai but find the current trade-offs unappealing.