Anthropic survey finds Americans want AI benefits with stronger oversight

Anthropic has released results from the first wave of its new Public Record survey, based on responses from nearly 52,000 Americans collected in late 2025. The company says the project is designed to track how public attitudes toward AI change over time as the technology advances and becomes more widely used. The survey found broad enthusiasm for AI’s potential, especially for medical progress. Nearly half of respondents said one of their top hopes was that AI could help cure diseases such as cancer or Alzheimer’s, while many others pointed to support for people with disabilities and making daily life easier. At the same time, Americans expressed significant concern about AI’s downsides. Job loss was the most common fear in every state, followed by worries about cognitive dependency and misinformation. The survey also found strong support for government involvement in AI, with majorities favoring action on privacy, child safety, and liability for harm. Anthropic said respondents showed little trust in AI companies to decide how the technology should be developed and used. The company says the findings are intended to inform future research and policy discussions about AI governance, safety, and the economic effects of adoption.