New survey finds young Americans increasingly pessimistic around AI
Speakers
Pippa Stevens
— Markets and Energy Reporter, CNBC
Summary
CNBC's Pippa Stevens reviews a CNBC-Generation Lab survey of 18-34 year-olds showing broad pessimism and distrust around AI. Young adults worry AI will hurt careers, want more government or independent oversight, and distrust most AI leaders. A majority also favor slowing data center construction, signaling growing public pushback against the AI buildout.
- 45% of young adults believe AI will hurt their career, versus 30% who say it will help.
- 75% want AI oversight from government or an independent expert body.
- Satya Nadella is seen as the most trustworthy AI leader at 35%, but most AI leaders are distrusted.
- Palantir's Alex Karp, Peter Thiel and Anthropic's Dario Amodei are rated least trusted.
- 60% say data center construction should slow; only 15% favor full speed ahead.
- Discussion contrasts AI skepticism with earlier optimism around the internet.
Ideas
Data center buildout faces public pushback
The CNBC-Generation Lab survey shows 60% of young adults think data center construction should slow down and only 15% say to keep building full speed ahead, implying growing public and political pushback that could restrain AI data center buildout.
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This CNBC video, published August 13, 2026, features Pippa Stevens discussing DTCR. 1 trade idea extracted by AI with direction and confidence scoring.
Speakers: Pippa Stevens · Tickers: DTCR