People really hate AI, so why can’t they get enough?

People hate AI and can't stop using it: More US adults expect AI to hurt them than help them—yet ChatGPT just hit a billion monthly users. The Venn diagram of AI skeptics and AI users is rapidly becoming a circle. It's not the tech, it's the push: The real frustration isn't artificial intelligence itself—it's the relentless corporate drive to inject it everywhere, while promising the biggest social upheaval in generations. This time might actually be different: Unlike social media's walled gardens, AI still offers genuine consumer choice and real regulatory momentum—all 50 US states have passed or proposed AI laws. " data-chronoton-post-id="1145682" data-chronoton-expand-collapse="1" data-chronoton-analytics-enabled="1"> Over the summer I talked to the CEO of Springboards, a startup building an LLM that’s designed to come up with a wider variety of responses than its mainstream rivals do. At the start of the call, he said something that’s been stuck in my head since: “We often say that we’re a self-loathing AI company. We don’t know if we really like what we’re doing.” “I guess that makes me a self-loathing AI journalist,” I replied. It was a joke! I love my job. But I do not love many of the things the technology I write about has become: warped by hype , steered by zealots, inescapable. The CEO of Springboards and I are far from alone. Around the world, a love/hate attitude toward AI is very much the vibe right now. On the one hand, public feelings are souring fast. According to the Pew Research Center, more adults in the US think AI will have a negative impact on them pe

Mixed views on AI

The piece documents a real gap between public distrust and usage growth, implying social friction and weak legitimacy for AI's rapid deployment. It is not catastrophic but reflects a mildly concerning trust deficit, tempered by noted regulatory responsiveness.

The article presents a paradox: public sentiment towards AI is largely negative, yet usage is extremely high. It describes widespread public skepticism and opposition but also record-breaking adoption rates for AI services. The article identifies the 'relentless corporate drive' as a key frustration, not AI itself, and notes regulatory momentum.

The article presents a mixed view of AI. While there is significant public skepticism and fear, AI usage is rapidly increasing. Regulatory momentum and consumer choice are noted as positive aspects.

SOURCE     MIT Technology Review: AI (tier 1)
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DOCUMENT   c00b791c-4442-467a-a844-3a51e4be3c83
           https://technologyreview.com/2026/10/05/1145682/people-really-hate-ai-so-why-cant-they-get-enough
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EVIDENCE   2 extracted excerpts
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MODEL RUN  4 runs, methodology 1.0.1
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SCORE      -26  (Adverse)
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CONFIDENCE 75%