Poll: Banning state regulation of AI is massively unpopular

Federal lawmakers in the Senate are poised to take up the One Big Beautiful Bill Act next week, but a new poll suggests that one of its controversial provisions is clearly unpopular with voters on both sides of the aisle.

That measure would ban states from regulating artificial intelligence for a decade. Proponents say that U.S. tech companies won't be able to succeed on the global stage if they're restrained by a patchwork of state laws that address concerns over artificial intelligence, like deepfakes, fraud, and youth safety.

But critics argue that a lengthy blanket ban would harm consumers, especially given that Congress has no plan to pass a bill with protections.

The new poll asked 1,022 registered voters across the country about their opinion on a state regulatory moratorium, and the results show that American voters largely oppose it.

The survey was conducted in mid-May by the research firm Echelon Insights, on behalf of Common Sense Media. The nonpartisan organization supports children and parents as they navigate media and technology, in addition to advocating for related safety and privacy legislation.

Fifty-nine percent of respondents opposed the measure. Half of Republican participants opposed it as well, significantly more than the 31 percent of Republicans who supported it.

The vast majority of respondents, regardless of their political affiliation, agreed that Congress shouldn't ban states from enacting or enforcing their own youth online safety and privacy laws.

Additionally, 53 percent said they trusted state and local leaders more than Congressional politicians, when it came to regulating AI appropriately. Only 15 percent preferred politicians and regulators in Washington, D.C. The rest of the participants were unsure who they trusted more.

"The numbers are clear," said Echelon Insights partner and co-founder Kristen Soltis Anderson in a statement about the poll. "Voters are concerned about the potential dangers AI-generated content can pose to kids and teens, and say they don't want the federal government to tell states what they can and can't do about the issue."

Last week, Common Sense Media joined a coalition of advocacy organizations, including Fairplay and the Center For Humane Technology, in an appeal to congressional leadership to drop the AI moratorium from the GOP-led budget.

"By wiping out all existing and future state AI laws without putting new federal protections in place, AI companies would get exactly what they want: no rules, no accountability, and total control," the coalition wrote in an open letter.

Common Sense Media has also backed two bills in California that would place guardrails on AI companion platforms, which advocates say are currently not safe for teens.

One of the bills specifically outlaws high-risk uses of AI, including "anthropomorphic chatbots that offer companionship" to children and will likely lead to emotional attachment or manipulation.

In general, survey respondents overwhelmingly indicated that they're concerned about youth safety and AI. More than 90 percent of participants said they worry about kids being exposed to highly sexualized AI-generated content online.