Artificial intelligence now ranks among Americans’ top 10 fears above biological warfare, terrorist attacks and government tracking of personal data.
Concerns that AI will harm the political process was the third most-cited fear among 1,200 adults in 2026, according to a long-running survey by Southern California’s Chapman University. That followed government corruption and the U.S. becoming involved in a world war in the top spots, respectively.
AI was the only issue that appeared twice in the top 10 list, with concerns that it will harm the economy coming in seventh place.
“People’s fears about AI are much broader than concerns about automation or job displacement,” Seth Benzell, an assistant professor who studies the economics of AI, said.
When asked to expand on their fear of AI, respondents cited the rise of romantic chatbot partners in dating, AI work to genetically engineer babies and the deployment of technology that continuously monitors human workers.
However, those polled who already used AI were less afraid of its potential effects, the researchers noted.
Some AI technologies inspired more hope than fear, including those related to producing clean energy and medical treatments that can extend people's lives.
“As artificial intelligence becomes more integrated into everyday life, understanding these fears will be increasingly important,” Christopher Bader, a professor of sociology at the school, said. “We expect concerns about AI to remain a significant part of the national conversation in the years ahead.”
Beyond the bots
While AI was a big part of this year’s survey, Americans are afraid of many other things. The fear of the U.S. becoming involved in a world war rose to the second slot from sixth place last year.
Concerns about biological warfare and terrorist attacks were also new to the rankings. These fears were ranked ninth and tenth, respectively, following the government tracking personal data.
“The recent conflict with Iran appears to have influenced Americans’ concerns about global conflict,“ noted Bader. “The rise of fears about biological warfare and terrorism may also reflect this broader sense of uncertainty.”
Beyond global issues, two fears in the top five slots were closer to home. The fear of a loved one becoming seriously ill and a loved one dying took the fourth and fifth slots, just above financial collapse.
“What I’m seeing more and more over time is that our fear about our loved ones is going to always be there, no matter what’s going on in the world,” Bader said.
The online survey was conducted from April 7 to April 21 of this year. The survey has been conducted since 2014.
Gen Z warned over new wave of crypto scams on TikTok and Instagram
Musk promises SpaceX share for ‘every kid in America’ as tech firms fight AI unease
Instagram doesn’t know what to do about ‘worrying’ AI trend sweeping app, it admits
Cyber attackers hacked thousands of children’s data due to common password fail
Apple should open access to contactless payment systems, says regulator
