Poll finds bipartisan concern about AI’s environmental effects

Concern crosses party lines

Americans have grown more concerned about the environmental impacts of artificial intelligence over the past year, a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago found.

The point of agreement between Republicans and Democrats is concern about AI’s effects on the environment. That shared concern stands out before the midterms because it crosses party lines, even though the finding is not connected to a particular election, candidate or campaign.

The result measures how Americans view an issue that combines technology and environmental questions. It does not represent a documented position from any candidate, and no race is directly linked to the poll.

What the finding shows

The year-over-year change indicates that AI’s environmental effects are drawing more public attention. The finding is about the direction of opinion: Americans are more concerned now than they were a year earlier.

Bipartisan concern does not by itself establish agreement on a policy response. The common ground identified by the poll is the concern itself, rather than a shared proposal for how public officials, schools or other institutions should address it.

For voters, the distinction is important. A poll can identify an issue that people in both major parties recognize without connecting that agreement to a ballot choice. Any future debate would depend on whether elected officials or candidates offer specific plans related to AI and its environmental impacts.