Outdated diplomas, mass layoffs: 70% of Americans believe AI is evolving too fast.
Artificial intelligence will “touch every profession, classrooms, hospitals, laboratories, every person and all your relationships.” Very firmly, Eric Schmidt, former Google boss, announced the color during a graduation ceremony at the University of Arizona. Boos greeted his speech.
Protests against data centers, skeptical students, Trump administration officials starting to backpedal: opposition to artificial intelligence is growing in the United States. The initial enthusiasm for AI has given way to increasing concern about the impact of this emerging technology on unemployment, rising costs, misinformation, and security.
“People are questioning what their future will look like. This existential fear is a very vivid source of anxiety,” explains Christabel Randolph from the Center for AI and Digital Policy, a think tank based in Washington. According to a Semafor survey, 70% of Americans believe AI is evolving too fast, over 50% have a negative opinion, and only 18% of young people see it as a reason for hope.
Outdated diplomas?
As the American economy is hit hard by persistent inflation and layoffs linked to AI in the tech sector, young Americans fear that their expensive university diplomas, often funded by significant debts, will be rendered obsolete by artificial intelligence.
Scott Borchetta, head of the music label Big Machine Records, tried to convince graduates of Middle Tennessee State University to accept the changes related to AI, but he also received a hostile reception. “You can listen to me now or pay for it later,” he quipped. “Do something, it’s a tool, put it to work for you,” he continued despite the boos.
The Trump administration seems to have changed its mind on the issue. Since returning to the White House, Donald Trump has positioned himself as a fervent advocate for the rapid development of AI, repealing security requirements put in place under the Biden administration and opposing any regulation, which he sees as a hindrance to US competitiveness against China.
But in recent months, the administration has announced its intention to control AI models before they hit the market, urged Congress to adopt a national regulation on AI, and discussed protection measures with China. Asked about the risks associated with AI on Fox News, Donald Trump replied that there were “many positive aspects, but we must be cautious.”
