American society also expresses serious concerns about the softness of future laws. In all 50 US states, concerns that AI regulation will be insufficient outweigh fears of excessive control.
American society also expresses serious concerns about the softness of future laws. In all 50 US states, concerns that AI regulation will be insufficient outweigh fears of excessive control.
As noted in the large-scale AI Index Report 2026 from Stanford University, globally, people have much more trust in the European Union's approaches to effectively regulating technology.
According to a 2025 Pew Research Center survey of 25 countries included in the report, the median trust score for the EU is 53%. The United States and China, however, lag far behind in this trust rating, with only 37% and 27% of respondents trusting them, respectively.
Interestingly, the crisis of trust in US AI policy is not only observed globally, but also within the country itself. According to the report, the United States showed the lowest level of public trust in its own government regarding responsible regulation of AI among all the countries surveyed — only 31%.
In comparison, the global average for trust in national governments is 54%, with Southeast Asian countries leading the way, including Singapore (81%) and Indonesia (76%).
Nationally, 41% of Americans believe federal laws will not be tough enough, while only 27% fear the government will “go too far” in its restrictions.
However, even within the EU, levels of trust were uneven, with respondents from Germany and the Netherlands showing the greatest confidence in the EU’s ability to effectively regulate AI, while Greece and Italy showed the least.
