About half of Americans see AI and nuclear weapons as equally risky
Core finding
Verasight surveyed 1,500 U.S. adults from September 16 to 21, 2026. 49.9% see AI and nuclear weapons as posing about the same long-term risk to humanity.
AI is the greater risk for 23.5%, while nuclear weapons are for 22.9%. Another 3.7% say neither poses a serious risk. These are perceptions of long-term risk.
Topline distribution
About half of Americans see AI and nuclear weapons as equally risky.
Thinking about the long term, which do you think poses a greater risk to humanity, AI or nuclear weapons?
n = 1,500 · Sep 16–21, 2026 · MoE ±2.6%
Methodology
Full methodology →| Mode | Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting |
|---|---|
| Population | US adults age 18+ |
| Field dates | Sep 16–21, 2026 |
| Base (unweighted) | 1,500 |
| Margin of error | ±2.6% |
| Module | Current Events Survey #2026-243 |
| Sponsor | Verasight |
| Weight variable | weight |
| Weighting targets | age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status |
Sources
- reports.verasight.io/r/2026-243-current-events-report
Thinking about the long term, which do you think poses a greater risk to humanity, AI or nuclear weapons?
Cite this question
September Verasight National Survey: Current Events and Prediction Markets, fielded September 16-21, 2026, N=1,500 US adults age 18+, +/- 2.6%.