# Americans want better AI safety guardrails Canonical page: https://data.verasight.io/ai/americans-want-better-ai-safety-guardrails/ Published: 2026-07-13 > Featured topic in AI & Tech. About nine in ten U.S. adults (89%) support requiring AI companies to publicly disclose safety-test results, and 80% would give the federal government authority to block an AI system found to pose a risk. ## Overview: AI safety rules Support for AI safety regulation is broad and lopsided. About nine in ten U.S. adults back mandatory disclosure of safety-test results (89%) and independent review of the most powerful systems before deployment (89%), and 80% support federal authority to block a risky system. The public also doubts the industry's own proposals. A 43% plurality say industry-drafted regulations are designed mainly to benefit the companies, while just 9% say they are mainly designed to protect the public. ## Disclosure and independent review draw near-consensus support 89% of U.S. adults support requiring AI companies to publicly disclose the results of safety testing for their most powerful systems (55% strongly support plus 34% support); 11% oppose (8% oppose plus 3% strongly oppose). Requiring independent, third-party review of the most powerful systems before deployment draws the same breadth: 89% support it (53% strongly plus 36%), while 11% are opposed. Older adults are the most emphatic. On disclosure, 63% of adults 65 and older strongly support the requirement, compared with 47% of adults under 30. ## Most would let the government stop a risky system Four in five adults (80%, combining 45% strong support and 36% support) favor giving the federal government the authority to block the release of an AI system found to pose a risk. Just 6% strongly oppose it. When the government and AI companies disagree over safety, 49% say the government should generally have the final say, about three times the 16% who would leave the call to the companies. Another 35% are not sure. ## The industry's own proposals meet suspicion Asked about the regulations AI companies have proposed for their own industry, a 43% plurality say the proposals are primarily designed to benefit the companies, 15% say they are equally motivated by public interest and self-interest, and just 9% say they are primarily designed to protect the public. Another 33% say they do not have enough information to judge. Asked who they trust more to determine whether a model is safe, 56% of adults say they are not familiar enough with the situation to have an opinion. Among the rest, about twice as many trust the U.S. government (30%) as trust the AI company, Anthropic (14%). ## Supporting evidence ### 89% of U.S. adults support mandatory safety-test disclosure, 89% support independent pre-deployment review and 80% support federal authority to block a risky AI system. Question: Each of the following AI regulations? - Requiring AI companies to publicly disclose the results of safety testing for their most powerful AI systems Note: Shows support for requiring public disclosure of AI safety-test results. Topline: - Strongly support: 54.8% - Support: 34.4% - Oppose: 7.9% - Strongly oppose: 2.9% ### 43% of U.S. adults say the AI industry's proposed regulations are designed mainly to benefit the companies; 9% say they mainly protect the public. Question: Thinking about these proposals, which of the following best reflects your view? Note: Shows how adults read the motives behind industry-proposed regulations. Topline: - These proposals are primarily designed to benefit the companies — by shaping regulations in ways that favor establishe: 43.3% - I'm not sure / I don't have enough information to say: 32.8% - These proposals are equally motivated by public interest and company self-interest: 14.8% - These proposals are primarily designed to protect the public — the companies are genuinely trying to prevent harm from: 9.1% ## 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: 2026-06-18 → 2026-06-19 - Base (unweighted): 1,690 - Margin of error: +/- 2.8% - Module: AI Regulation - Sponsor: Verasight - Weight variable: weight - Weighting targets: age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status ## Sources - [To what extent do you support or oppose each of the following AI regulations? - Requiring AI companies to publicly disclose the results of safety testing for their most powerful AI systems](https://reports.verasight.io/r/june-2026-ai-survey#q-8): reports.verasight.io/r/june-2026-ai-survey: Shows support for requiring public disclosure of AI safety-test results. - [To what extent do you support or oppose each of the following AI regulations? - Requiring AI companies to have their most powerful AI systems reviewed by independent, third-party evaluators before deployment](https://reports.verasight.io/r/june-2026-ai-survey#q-8): reports.verasight.io/r/june-2026-ai-survey: Shows support for independent third-party review before deployment. - [To what extent do you support or oppose each of the following AI regulations? - giving the federal government the authority to block the release of an AI system if it is found to pose a risk](https://reports.verasight.io/r/june-2026-ai-survey#q-8): reports.verasight.io/r/june-2026-ai-survey: Shows support for federal authority to block risky AI systems. - [Thinking about these proposals, which of the following best reflects your view?](https://reports.verasight.io/r/june-2026-ai-survey#q-10): reports.verasight.io/r/june-2026-ai-survey: Shows how adults read the motives behind industry-proposed regulations. - [Which of the following best reflects your general view on AI safety disputes between the government and AI companies?](https://reports.verasight.io/r/june-2026-ai-survey#q-12): reports.verasight.io/r/june-2026-ai-survey: Shows who adults think should have the final say in AI safety disputes. - [If you had to pick, who do you trust more to determine whether the model is safe?](https://reports.verasight.io/r/june-2026-ai-survey#q-11): reports.verasight.io/r/june-2026-ai-survey: Adds who adults trust more to judge whether a model is safe. - [Do you support or oppose this proposal?](https://reports.verasight.io/r/june-2026-ai-survey#q-15): reports.verasight.io/r/june-2026-ai-survey: Adds support for a public-ownership proposal for AI companies. ## Citation What do Americans from both parties agree on? AI Regulation, fielded June 18-19, 2026, N=1,690 US adults age 18+, +/- 2.8%. Canonical question URL: [https://reports.verasight.io/r/june-2026-ai-survey#q-8](https://reports.verasight.io/r/june-2026-ai-survey#q-8)