Over 70% of Young Americans Distrust Big Tech on AI

A CNBC/Generation Lab survey of 1,088 U.S. young adults aged 18–34 reveals deep distrust of tech leaders shaping artificial intelligence; 45% say AI will negatively affect their career prospects, while just 10% view AI as beneficial.
When asked whether they trust tech leaders to act responsibly on AI, a majority of respondents answered no. Palantir CEO Alex Karp was the least trusted figure, with 81% saying they do not trust him. Peter Thiel, former PayPal CEO and Palantir co-founder, drew 79% distrust. Distrust for Anthropic co-founder Dario Amodei and Google CEO Sundar Pichai ran roughly 76% and 74%, respectively. Around 70% of respondents expressed distrust in Mark Zuckerberg, Sam Altman, Jensen Huang and Elon Musk. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella was the most trusted among the group but still failed to earn majority trust, with only 35% expressing confidence.
On policy, the survey found 40% of young adults want the federal government to set AI rules, while 60% believe construction of new data centers should slow. The findings reflect mounting anxiety among younger cohorts about AI’s rapid spread and its potential economic and social consequences.