The news: AI experts are more optimistic than the general public about AI’s potential and less concerned about impacts to the economy and jobs. These professionals, who research AI or are developing or specializing in it, also overestimate how much consumers use the technology.

• About three-fourths (76%) of experts think AI will benefit them personally, per Pew Research, compared with 24% of US adults.
• 79% of AI specialists think consumers use it several times a day—in reality, only 27% of consumers do.

Skewed perception: Experts and the public diverge in their levels of experience with chatbots and their trust of AI.

• Only one-third (33%) of US adults have used a chatbot, though 79% who have tried one found the chatbot to be at least somewhat useful. Of the AI professionals who have used a chatbot, 91% found them useful.
• While 51% of experts believe AI will improve enough to be trusted with important decisions, only 13% of the public thinks it will reach that point.

Far-reaching effects: Experts have a rosier outlook on AI’s impacts on public services and the economy.

• 84% of AI specialists think healthcare will be improved and 61% think K-12 education will get better. Less than half (44%) of the public agree about healthcare and just one-quarter agree about education.
• 69% of experts think AI will help the economy, compared with only 21% of US adults.

Only about one in 10 of both groups believe AI will positively affect elections.

Risks and regulation: Inaccuracies, deepfakes, and data privacy are shared concerns, as are worries that government regulation of AI won’t go far enough.

• 55% of both groups worry about AI biases, which could lead to discrimination in hiring algorithms or medical decisions.
• 59% of US adults and 55% of experts have little or no confidence that US companies will build and use AI responsibly.

Our take: The gap between experts’ optimism and public skepticism indicates that companies using AI should focus on showcasing real-world benefits to consumers, being transparent about applications, and creating accessible, consumer-friendly features to help build trust.