A recent poll indicates that both Democratic and Republican voters prefer that the American public — not wealthy Silicon Valley figures — determine the future of artificial intelligence (AI) development. The poll results were shared first with Semafor.
The survey was commissioned by Alex Bores, who founded a new organization called Who Decides. Bores, previously a high-profile target of the AI industry during his unsuccessful congressional campaign in New York, is leading the effort.
Key findings from the poll
- The survey sampled 1,502 registered voters this month.
- Among 13 issues respondents were asked about, AI ranked last in terms of stated importance.
- Nevertheless, 50% of respondents said AI is moving too fast.
- 86% identified lack of regulation as a problem.
- Only 18% viewed the US falling behind China competitively as a problem — a concern cited by President Donald Trump when opposing regulation.
- Just 36% said they had heard about incidents such as the Hugging Face hack.
Bores told Semafor in Washington, at a “pro-human” summit attended by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Steve Bannon, that support for reasonable AI regulations correlates with other political issues. He argued that demonstrating clear, practical work on AI can win over voters even when AI is not their top priority.
Who Decides' goals
Who Decides aims to help the broader Democratic coalition coalesce around a shared baseline of AI protections. The organization will assist traditionally Democratic constituencies, including labor groups and civil-society organizations, in crafting policy messages on AI.
Bores warned that internal divisions on the Democratic side can be damaging: “As a Democrat, I say this with love, but we turn everything into a circular firing squad,” he said, adding that it is especially important to present a united front on this issue because well-resourced opponents are pushing against any regulation.
Why this matters
The poll suggests that while AI may not top voters’ lists of immediate priorities, concerns about insufficient regulation are widespread. Who Decides’ effort to build unity within the Democratic coalition could shape future regulatory initiatives and the broader public-policy debate on AI in the United States.
