# Americans want AI companies to slow down Canonical page: https://data.verasight.io/ai/americans-want-slower-safer-ai/ Published: 2026-10-07 > Featured topic in AI & Tech. 62.6% of Americans want AI development to slow down. Given a choice between two companies, 73.4% prefer more safety testing even if the tools are less advanced. ## Overview: Safety comes before speed In a Verasight survey of 1,500 U.S. adults conducted September 16 to 21, 2026, 62.6% want AI development to slow down. Just 4.7% want it to speed up. Given a choice between two hypothetical AI companies, 73.4% prefer the one that develops more slowly and spends more time on safety testing, even if its tools are less advanced. ## Few want faster development Support for slowing development is higher than support for either keeping the current pace (18.6%) or speeding up (4.7%). Another 14.1% are unsure. The question asks about the pace of AI development overall. It does not specify a particular technology, company or restriction. ## More safety testing has broad appeal The slower company with more safety testing attracts 73.4%, compared with 11.7% for the faster company with more advanced tools. Another 14.8% are unsure. Concern about serious harm from developing AI too quickly (45.2%) exceeds concern about the United States falling behind China (10.7%). Another 35.6% worry equally about both risks. ## Companies are expected to take responsibility Asked who should slow development, 54.9% put responsibility on AI companies and 36.7% on government. Another 8.4% say development should not slow. Before that question, respondents read a statement saying some AI executives had called for a slowdown. These results describe reactions to that statement, alongside the separate questions about pace and safety. ## Supporting evidence ### 62.6% want AI development to slow, while 18.6% want the current pace and 4.7% want it to speed up. Question: Thinking about how fast artificial intelligence is being developed, which comes closest to your view? Topline: - Development should slow down: 62.6% - Development should continue at about the current pace: 18.6% - Not sure: 14.1% - Development should speed up: 4.7% ### 73.4% of Americans prefer the hypothetical AI company that develops more slowly and tests safety more, compared with 11.7% who prefer faster development. Question: Which would you choose? Topline: - The company that develops slowly, with more safety testing: 73.4% - Not sure: 14.8% - The company that develops quickly, with more advanced tools: 11.7% ### 45.2% are more worried about harm from AI developing too quickly; 10.7% are more worried about falling behind China and 35.6% worry equally about both. Question: Which of these worries you more about artificial intelligence, AI could be developed too quickly and cause serious harm, or the United States could fall behind China in developing AI? Topline: - AI could be developed too quickly and cause serious harm: 45.2% - Both worry me equally: 35.6% - The United States could fall behind China in developing AI: 10.7% - Neither worries me: 8.5% ### 54.9% say AI companies should be responsible for slowing development, compared with 36.7% who assign that role to government. Question: Who should be responsible for slowing down the pace of AI development? Topline: - The companies themselves: 54.9% - The government: 36.7% - The pace should not slow down: 8.4% ## 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: 2026-09-16 → 2026-09-21 - 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 - [Thinking about how fast artificial intelligence is being developed, which comes closest to your view?](https://reports.verasight.io/r/2026-243-current-events-report#q-9): reports.verasight.io/r/2026-243-current-events-report - [Which of these worries you more about artificial intelligence — AI could be developed too quickly and cause serious harm, or the United States could fall behind China in developing AI?](https://reports.verasight.io/r/2026-243-current-events-report#q-7): reports.verasight.io/r/2026-243-current-events-report - [Who should be responsible for slowing down the pace of AI development?](https://reports.verasight.io/r/2026-243-current-events-report#q-8): reports.verasight.io/r/2026-243-current-events-report - [Which would you choose?](https://reports.verasight.io/r/2026-243-current-events-report#q-10): reports.verasight.io/r/2026-243-current-events-report ## In the news - CNBC · 2026-09-30: [Trump's meeting with tech leaders leaves AI safety more unsettled than ever](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/30/after-trump-meeting-with-tech-leaders-ai-safety-in-more-chaotic-state.html) ## Citation September Verasight National Survey: Current Events and Prediction Markets, fielded September 16-21, 2026, N=1,500 US adults age 18+, +/- 2.6%. Canonical question URL: [https://reports.verasight.io/r/2026-243-current-events-report#q-9](https://reports.verasight.io/r/2026-243-current-events-report#q-9)