Americans Anticipate Significant AI Impact on Daily Life, Fox News Poll Reveals

Nearly nine out of ten American voters believe artificial intelligence will transform how they live in the coming years, according to a new Fox News poll, though many still view the technology as more theoretical than practical in their daily routines.

The survey, conducted in late February through early March 2026, shows 53% of voters expect AI will change life “a lot” in the next few years, with an additional 34% anticipating “some” change. This marks a significant shift in public perception, with the percentage of those expecting major changes jumping 10 points from 43% in 2023.

Despite widespread acknowledgment of AI’s transformative potential, Americans remain divided on its current utility. A small majority (53%) consider AI “not very” or “not at all” useful in their everyday lives, compared to 47% who find it somewhat or very useful. The poll reveals a striking contrast in attitudes, with more than twice as many respondents describing AI as “not at all useful” (29%) versus those who consider it “very useful” (12%).

Clear demographic divides emerge in AI adoption patterns. Men under 45 (66%) and younger Republicans (61%) represent the groups most likely to find AI helpful in their daily lives. By contrast, seniors over 65 (67%), women without college degrees (63%), older Democrats (62%), rural residents (62%), and lower-income households (61%) are among the least likely to see current practical benefits from the technology.

Trust and transparency remain paramount concerns for voters. An overwhelming 89% believe people should be clearly informed when online content is AI-generated. This finding comes just before a March announcement from social media platform X requiring users to disclose when videos of armed conflicts are created using artificial intelligence.

The erosion of public trust in media represents another significant AI-related worry. Eighty percent of respondents expressed they were extremely (44%) or very (36%) concerned that AI is undermining confidence in news and social content. Nearly nine times as many voters reported being “extremely concerned” about this issue compared to those “not at all concerned.”

Despite these anxieties, 60% of voters feel confident they can identify AI-generated content—a figure unchanged since mid-2025. However, existential concerns persist, with a narrow majority (52%) worried that AI could eventually control humans, compared to 47% who express little or no concern about this possibility.

The poll identifies several groups particularly concerned about potential AI dominance: very conservative voters (63%), MAGA supporters (61%), lower-income households (59%), Hispanic voters (58%), and Republicans generally (58%).

In an interesting aside, the survey also explored beliefs about extraterrestrial life. By a decisive 50-point margin, more voters believe life exists or once existed elsewhere in the universe (74%) than those who reject the possibility (24%). Democrats (78%), independents (77%), Catholics (77%), and White voters (76%) were more likely than Republicans (68%), Protestants (67%), White evangelicals (64%), and minority groups to believe in life beyond Earth.

The Fox News survey included 1,004 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file, with respondents participating via landline, cell phone, and online methods. The poll has a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points for the full sample, with higher margins for subgroups.

As AI technologies continue developing rapidly across sectors from healthcare to financial services to entertainment, these findings suggest Americans increasingly recognize the technology’s transformative potential while remaining cautious about both its current practical applications and long-term societal implications.