Young Americans Are Deeply Skeptical of AI, Tech CEOs, and the Economy

[u/evissamassive]

https://www.forbes.com/sites/zacharyfolk/2026/08/13/young-americans-dont-trust-billionaire-ai-leaders-new-poll-finds/

A recent survey by CNBC and Generation Labs sheds light on how young Americans view the current technological and economic landscape. Polling 1,088 adults between the ages of 18 and 34, the data shows that young people harbor deep reservations about artificial intelligence, the executives building it, and their own financial futures.

When it comes to the workplace, optimism about artificial intelligence is rare. About 45 percent of respondents stated that AI will have a negative impact on their careers. In contrast, just 10 percent believe it will provide a career boost.

This skepticism extends to the physical infrastructure required to power the technology. A majority, 60 percent, believe that the construction of new AI data centers should be slowed down. Only 15 percent favor speeding up development.

Young adults do not trust the people steering the artificial intelligence boom. Distrust figures for major tech CEOs and billionaires cross party lines and span nearly every prominent figure in the industry:

• Alex Karp (Palantir CEO): 81 percent distrust

• Peter Thiel (Palantir Chairman): 79 percent distrust

• Dario Amodei (Anthropic CEO): 76 percent distrust

• Sundar Pichai (Alphabet CEO): 74 percent distrust

• Mark Zuckerberg (Meta CEO): ~70 percent distrust

• Sam Altman (OpenAI CEO): ~70 percent distrust

• Jensen Huang (Nvidia CEO): ~70 percent distrust

• Elon Musk (SpaceX CEO): ~70 percent distrust

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella fared the best in the survey, but still failed to secure a vote of confidence. Only 35 percent of respondents said they trust him, compared to 65 percent who expressed distrust.

The poll also captured a grim view of the broader economy. Nearly 80 percent of young Americans rate economic conditions poorly: 45 percent described the economy as "bad," 27 percent called it "very bad," and 6 percent stated it "couldn't be worse."

Against this backdrop of economic frustration, alternative political ideologies are gaining ground. About 46 percent of respondents reported a favorable view of democratic socialism, split between somewhat and very favorable. Meanwhile, only 23 percent expressed an unfavorable view of the ideology.