Reuters/Ipsos Poll: 84% of US Voters Say AI Threatens American Workers — and Most Think Washington Isn't Listening

By Hector Herrera | October 7, 2026

A new Reuters/Ipsos poll finds that eight in ten registered US voters believe artificial intelligence poses a threat to American workers, and a majority say neither the Trump administration nor Congress is taking those risks seriously enough — a signal that AI policy has become a live issue heading into November's midterm elections.

The poll of 3,526 registered voters, published October 7 by U.S. News & World Report, puts a precise number on what has been anecdotally clear for months: public anxiety about AI has moved well beyond tech circles and into mainstream political concern.

What the Poll Found

The headline numbers are striking:

• 84% of respondents said AI is a threat to American workers
• 62% said they fear AI could get out of control and endanger humanity's future
• 57% said the Trump administration has not taken AI risks seriously enough
• 54% said the same of Congress
• A third of self-identified Republicans agreed the administration is not doing enough — a notable cross-party finding given the White House's general posture of deregulation on AI

The survey was conducted by Reuters/Ipsos, which has polled US registered voters consistently enough to make the results comparable across election cycles.

Why This Matters Now

The timing is not accidental. With midterm elections approaching, AI has emerged as a distinct campaign issue in ways it hadn't been in 2024. Voters are watching layoff announcements tied to AI deployments — from customer service centers to legal and financial services — and the abstract debate about "AI safety" has become more concrete as workers personally know someone affected.

The 62% who fear AI could "get out of control" is particularly significant. That framing — existential risk, not just economic displacement — was largely confined to AI researchers and advocacy groups a year ago. Its appearance at this scale in a mainstream political poll suggests the Overton window on AI governance has shifted.

The Political Fault Line

The bipartisan concern is the most politically actionable finding. A third of Republicans breaking with the administration on AI risk is a meaningful number. It suggests AI anxiety does not map cleanly onto existing partisan lines — which historically creates legislative pressure regardless of which party controls Congress.

The administration's current approach has centered on executive orders promoting AI development and competitiveness, while pulling back from Biden-era guidelines that tech companies found burdensome. Critics argue that orientation prioritizes speed over safeguards. The poll suggests a large segment of the electorate agrees with the critics.

Congress has struggled to pass comprehensive AI legislation. Multiple bills have been introduced — covering everything from algorithmic bias auditing to deepfake regulation — but none have reached a floor vote in either chamber.

What to Watch

Watch for AI to surface explicitly in campaign advertising and candidate debates over the next four weeks. If even a third of Republican voters are open to stronger AI oversight, candidates in competitive districts may find it advantageous to distance themselves from a pure deregulation stance. The poll is the kind of data that shifts political calculus quickly.

Hector Herrera covers AI's intersection with business, government, and society for NexChron.