Most US voters think President Donald Trump’s administration and Congress are not taking the risks of artificial intelligence seriously enough, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll published Wednesday. Some 57% of registered voters, including a third of self-identified Republicans, said the administration has not taken AI risks seriously enough or at all. Some 54% said the same about Congress.
The poll found 84% of voters saw AI as a threat to American workers. By comparison, 74% said the same of competition from foreign workers, 73% of large corporations and 60% of illegal immigration. Some 62% said the technology could get out of control and risk the future of humankind, roughly the same share as in a Reuters/Ipsos poll from August 2025.
Support for stricter government regulation of AI crossed party lines, with 80% of Democrats and 61% of Republicans in favor. Some 56% of voters backed limits on building data centers, including 69% of Democrats, 55% of independents and 43% of Republicans. And 57% said the US government should not use AI to determine the target of a military strike, up from 49% in August 2025.
Asked about the president’s handling of AI, a White House official pointed Reuters to Trump’s new task force, which the official said is in charge of ensuring that “America continues to lead the world” on the technology. On voters’ job fears, the official said the administration’s “priority is to ensure there is a booming economy so that workers have many opportunities and experience limited volatility from any short-term disruptions.”
Federal action has been limited. Trump said last week that executives from six leading AI developers agreed to voluntary safety principles, including working with “independent auditors,” and Reuters noted the agreement includes no stated consequences for a company that does not comply. Congress has not agreed on legislation to set guardrails, and lawmakers are expected to be away from Washington until after the November 3 midterm elections, in which Reuters said AI has become a significant campaign issue.
The online, nationwide survey gathered responses from 4,506 US adults, including 3,526 registered voters, and has a margin of error of 2 percentage points, Reuters reported. Ipsos says fieldwork ran from September 30 to October 5. Its published toplines so far hold the AI questions for future release, leaving Reuters as the source for the AI figures. A Reuters/Ipsos poll last month found 73% of Americans worried AI companies were not doing enough to prevent serious harm.