Californians are more concerned than excited by AI and look to government to hold tech companies accountable to making AI safe and secure

A new poll shows only one-third of Californians are excited about AI, while more than half are more concerned than excited, leading to an overwhelming majority of voters asking for strong laws requiring companies to make AI safe and secure.

SAN FRANCISCO, AUG 19 – A new survey from TechEquity finds that a supermajority of Californians have significant concerns about AI and want government to create guardrails on AI tools and the companies that build them. Clear majorities of respondents are concerned about AI-fueled job loss, wage stagnation, privacy violations, and discrimination. The research indicates that 55% of Californians are more concerned about future AI advancements than excited, while only 33% are more excited than concerned—a 22% difference. Nearly half (48%) think AI is advancing too fast, while only 32% believe it is advancing at the right pace.

The research, which was conducted by Diffusion.Au with Lake Research Partners, indicates that the majority (59%) of California adults believe these advancements will most likely primarily benefit the wealthiest households and corporations and not working people and the middle class. This anxiety goes beyond economic concerns. Focus group respondents fear that a small group of ultra‑elites is quietly rewriting society’s rules in their favor. 

Among the findings:

• 59% of Californians think that AI will most likely benefit the wealthiest households and corporations, not working people and the middle class. This is true across Democrats and Republicans alike 
• 70% of Californians think we need strong laws to force companies to make AI safe and secure
• While trust in the government to control AI is low across the board, the state has a small edge, pointing to slightly greater public confidence in state-led regulation. In net trust terms (that is, trust minus don’t-trust), Californians rate the state government at −24 (35% trust vs 59% don’t) and the federal government at −33 (32% vs 64%)—a nine-point advantage for the state. In plain terms: people are less negative about Sacramento than Washington, but mistrust still outweighs trust overall. In focus groups, respondents said this distrust stems from a deep concern that legislators are overly influenced by the tech industry—and made clear that their support for policymakers depends on visible independence from it. 
• An overwhelming majority favor policies including those that:
  • Protect privacy (81%)
  • Enforce civil rights (73%)
  • Enact non-discrimination rules (73%)
• Californians are most concerned with AI’s impact on
  • Creating deepfakes (64%)
  • Spreading disinformation (59%)
  • Violating personal privacy (58%)
  • Reducing wages (55%)
  • Replacing low-paying jobs (52%) 
• Only 25% of people believe that AI will have a positive impact on them, and many find it unlikely that AI will create new jobs and industries (42%) or have a positive or increase equality (49%). 
• A majority think that AI is likely to find solutions to problems that we cannot solve (43%) and improve creativity and innovation (42%).

“Californians are echoing what we are seeing in poll after poll from across the country,” said Catherine Bracy, Founder and CEO of TechEquity. “Voters are telling their representatives loud and clear: don’t trust tech companies to self-govern. Develop AI regulations that keep companies accountable for promoting  safety and fairness—as well as innovation.”

“The biggest question Californians are asking isn’t ‘what can AI do?’, it’s ‘who does this really benefit?” said Daniel Stone, Executive Director of Diffusion.Au. “Californians aren’t anti‑technology; they’re hopeful about what AI could deliver, but only if government proves it’s acting in the public interest, not the interest of executives from Silicon Valley.”

About the Poll 

Diffusion.Au and Lake Research Partners conducted a survey using an online panel of California adults. The survey was fielded from April 29 to May 8, 2025. The margin of error for the full sample is ±3.1%, with larger margins for subgroups. See the toplines report here. Full toplines and cross tabs can be accessed at diffusion.au/aicompass.

About TechEquity

TechEquity raises public consciousness about economic equity issues that result from the tech industry’s products and practices, and advocates for change that ensures tech’s evolution benefits everyone. The organization conducts original research grounded in the stories of the people impacted by inequitable systems, develops policy and industry recommendations, and focuses on the implementation of policies and industry standards to ensure meaningful impact for generations to come. Learn more at techequity.us. 

About Diffusion.Au  

Diffusion.Au develops cutting-edge research, data analytics, and messaging techniques. Diffusion.Au Executive Director, Daniel Stone, is a highly experienced issue and policy advocacy professional with a history of influencing the outcome of complex policy challenges. He is a fellow with the Centre for Responsible Technology Australia, whose research with the Centre for the Future of Intelligence at the University of Cambridge recently explored global AI policy narratives.