Source: Search Engine Journal
The adoption-belief gap is widening: 49% of U.S. adults actively use AI chatbots and 60% consume Google's AI Overviews, yet majorities still expect AI to harm society more than help it. This mirrors the smartphone adoption pattern of 2007-2010, where utility preceded trust, but the stakes differ—consumers are embedding AI into daily information-seeking (search, writing, coding) while maintaining deep reservations about its social impact. Competitors who can credibly address safety and transparency concerns have an opening; speed and convenience alone won't close the gap.