RTE summary ofNew Poll: Americans Overwhelmingly Support Pro-Human Principles on AI, poll release, Future of Life Institute,
The Future of Life Institute released results from a national survey of 1,004 likely U.S. voters, conducted February 19 and 20, 2026, alongside its Pro-Human AI Declaration. Respondents chose between paired statements about how AI should be developed and governed.
According to the release, 80 percent of voters preferred keeping humans in charge of AI with strong oversight and corporate accountability, compared with 10 percent who favored fast, lightly regulated development. Seventy-three percent supported protecting children and families from AI systems designed to create emotional attachment or dependency, compared with 15 percent who felt AI should be allowed to act as a tutor, coach, or companion without strict limits. Seventy-two percent said AI companies should bear legal responsibility for harms.
The sample was weighted to reflect the 2024 electorate, with roughly equal numbers of Trump and Harris voters. The release reports that on no issue tested did a majority of either group choose the fast-development, minimal-regulation position.
Why it matters
The finding on children stands out: across party lines, most voters want limits on AI designed to build emotional dependence. As with any poll released by an advocacy organization, readers can review the full question wording and results, which the institute has published, to judge the findings for themselves.
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