A new poll shows that concerns about artificial intelligence cut across party lines, with the vast majority of Americans believing the U.S. government should prioritize ensuring AI remains under human control and protecting workers.

The survey found that 64% of respondents believe AI is developing "too fast," while 27% say the pace is "just right," and only 8% think it is developing "too slowly." The once science-fiction risk that powerful AI models could escape human control and harm humanity is increasingly becoming an urgent issue.

Even executives at companies developing frontier AI models are calling for a slower pace so that government regulation can keep up.

However, U.S. President Trump opposes slowing AI development, and with midterm elections approaching, the data centers underpinning AI projects have become a focal point in major political campaigns.

The poll shows that about 80% of American adults believe it is crucial—meaning "extremely" or "very" important—for the government to ensure AI remains under human control; the same proportion also wants the government to prioritize protecting the domestic workforce.

In addition, most American adults believe that minimizing environmental harm and promoting U.S. economic growth are also extremely important.

The poll shows that the American public does not rate Trump's handling of this issue highly, with 67% of American adults holding a negative view of his performance on artificial intelligence.

Stephanie Stewart, a middle school science teacher from Sunset, Utah, said the president's opposition to regulating artificial intelligence frustrates her. "Other than letting these companies do whatever they want without regulation, there is really no response at all," said Stewart, 53.

Most people believe that protecting workers should be a government priority. Ron Theusch, a truck driver living in rural Alden, Minnesota, said his biggest concern about artificial intelligence is the potential loss of jobs—including his own. "I can picture it: a fleet of self-driving trucks running back and forth on Interstate 35 around the clock, loading and unloading. I can absolutely see that happening," said Theusch, 58.

The poll shows that most Democrats and Republicans agree on the importance of protecting workers and ensuring AI remains under human control. "There's a movie called 'The Terminator,' about robots coming back and killing everyone," Theusch said. "People really resonate with that… I don't know how things will ultimately play out. Honestly, there's nothing I can do about it, you know. It's going to keep evolving anyway."

In the field of artificial intelligence, opinions diverge widely on the importance of other priorities. Republicans are more likely than Democrats to believe that growing the U.S. economy and competing with other countries is crucial. Democrats, meanwhile, are more likely to believe that minimizing environmental harm is at least "very" important.