No matter how you feel about it, it’s hard not to notice the impact artificial intelligence (AI) has had since OpenAI first released a demo of ChatGPT on November 30, 2022. Though some may consider the rise of AI to be the cause of everything collapsing, there are individuals who find it useful for completing a variety of tasks. While companies continue to add artificial intelligence to devices, a recent poll shows that many don’t even want it in the first place.
According to a Connected Intelligence report from AI company Circana, over a third of U.S. consumers over the age of 18 have no interest in having artificial intelligence on their devices. Of those who showed no interest, reasons given include simply not wanting it, privacy concerns, and being content with the capabilities of their devices without artificial intelligence. Interestingly, the potential harm AI can do to the planet was not one of the reasons given. The research also shows that younger generations are more receptive to the tool.
Despite a huge chunk of consumers showing a lack of interest in AI, there are no signs of it slowing down anytime soon. AI companies continue to receive massive investments — to a point where many experts think there might be an AI bubble.
Report details lack of public interest in AI
According to Circana’s report, while 86% of adults in the U.S. possess an awareness of the availability of artificial intelligence in their devices, 35% show little to no interest in the feature. Of those who said they had no interest, 59% stated that it was due to concerns about privacy. Considering there have been allegations that AI web browsers can spy on you, this isn’t too surprising, though 43% of those polled also cited not wanting to pay more for AI services.
That last figure is somewhat amusing, given that in January 2025 Microsoft raised the price of Microsoft 365 even if you didn’t want AI features. However, the largest reason individuals don’t want AI is that they simply do not want it, whereas two-thirds also stated their devices already perform the tasks they need, and 15% stated AI seemed complicated. Within the report, senior analyst for Connected Intelligence at Circana Sara Rosenman stated, “AI is still emerging and is currently more of a nice-to-have feature, as opposed to a core decision driver.”
Though the report shows a good portion of people not wanting AI, there are still a large number of supporters, as 65% of those familiar with AI had an interest in AI features arriving on one of their devices, largely smartphones. Those between 18 and 24 were most interested, at 82%, but the numbers decline as user age increases. According to the report, voice control features are currently the most popular use for AI.
