# Quinnipiac poll finds 77% of Americans want AI development slowed or halted

Digest AI · Society & Work · published 2026-10-05T16:37:08Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/quinnipiac-poll-finds-77-of-americans-want-ai-development-slowed-or-ha

## Summary

A Quinnipiac University poll of 1,202 US adults found that 47% support slowing AI development and 30% want it stopped until safety is confirmed. Only 5% back faster progress. The survey, conducted September 24–27, has a margin of error of ±3.5 percentage points.

Most respondents—86%—support independent safety standards for AI companies, even if they delay progress. Worry about AI threatening humanity’s survival is high: 73% express concern. Trust in AI company leaders is low, with 74% reporting little or no confidence. Chetan Jaiswal of Quinnipiac notes the results suggest public demand for safeguards beyond self-regulation.

## Key points

- 47% of US adults want AI development slowed, 30% want it halted until safety is verified
- 86% support independent safety standards for AI companies, even if they slow progress
- 73% worry AI could threaten humanity’s survival, 74% distrust AI company leaders

## Why it matters

Public skepticism could shape policy, corporate accountability, and funding priorities for AI research and deployment.

## Sources

1. [Most Americans want AI development to slow down or stop entirely, new poll finds](https://the-decoder.com/most-americans-want-ai-development-to-slow-down-or-stop-entirely-new-poll-finds) (The Decoder, 2026-10-05)

## Cite

Digest AI, "Quinnipiac poll finds 77% of Americans want AI development slowed or halted", 5 October 2026, https://digestai.news/story/quinnipiac-poll-finds-77-of-americans-want-ai-development-slowed-or-ha

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