AI Crisis of Trust

[marcus]

From https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/19/ai-was-supposed-to-win-people-over-by-now-it-hasnt/
Title : AI was supposed to win people over by now — it hasn’t
By Sarah Perez , August 2026

... Pew Research released a study that found that Americans’ unease about AI is growing — 52% said they’re “more concerned than excited” about the increased use of AI in daily life, up from 37% in 2021 ...

A recent CNBC poll of 18- to 34-year-olds found that, when given the names of 9 top leaders in the AI industry, a majority of the respondents said they don’t trust those people to “act responsibly” when it comes to AI ...

The underlying sentiment spanning these stories is that consumers don’t see how AI is making their lives better, but they’re still being asked to absorb the costs ...

They see AI features infiltrating their everyday products, from email to TVs, whether they wanted them or not. They view AI as a tool that’s helping kids cheat in school, including at the college level ... They hear of AI bots training on piles of intellectual property belonging to others so AI can be used to create art, videos, music, and writing ...

consumers ... don’t think the trade-offs are worth it. When the upside offered isn’t automated jobs with increased pay and reduced workweeks, but instead the threat of job loss, paired with AI features consumers find far less compelling ...

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky acknowledged that the AI backlash is ... largely tied to the fact that the industry isn’t shipping products that “regular people” like ...

Even Anthropic AI CEO Dario Amodei, one of the industry’s most prominent leaders, admitted ... that negative public perception of AI is ... fundamentally a “crisis of trust.” He said people don’t trust companies, governments, or the tech industry ...

 

[harryopal1]

From https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/19/ai-was-supposed-to-win-people-over-by-now-it-hasnt/
Title : AI was supposed to win people over by now — it hasn’t
By Sarah Perez , August 2026

... Pew Research released a study that found that Americans’ unease about AI is growing — 52% said they’re “more concerned than excited” about the increased use of AI in daily life, up from 37% in 2021 ...

A recent CNBC poll of 18- to 34-year-olds found that, when given the names of 9 top leaders in the AI industry, a majority of the respondents said they don’t trust those people to “act responsibly” when it comes to AI ...

The underlying sentiment spanning these stories is that consumers don’t see how AI is making their lives better, but they’re still being asked to absorb the costs ...

They see AI features infiltrating their everyday products, from email to TVs, whether they wanted them or not. They view AI as a tool that’s helping kids cheat in school, including at the college level ... They hear of AI bots training on piles of intellectual property belonging to others so AI can be used to create art, videos, music, and writing ...

consumers ... don’t think the trade-offs are worth it. When the upside offered isn’t automated jobs with increased pay and reduced workweeks, but instead the threat of job loss, paired with AI features consumers find far less compelling ...

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky acknowledged that the AI backlash is ... largely tied to the fact that the industry isn’t shipping products that “regular people” like ...

Even Anthropic AI CEO Dario Amodei, one of the industry’s most prominent leaders, admitted ... that negative public perception of AI is ... fundamentally a “crisis of trust.” He said people don’t trust companies, governments, or the tech industry ...

Negotiating with public bureacracies in many countries has never been easy and it seems that technologies intended to simplify and expedite processes have created confusion and pain. First it was the recorded voices with insulting messages such as "thank you for your patience" when you have been waiting for half an hour. Then inceasingly an attempt to make an enquiry goes to an automated answering system with optional answers to dozens of questions and none of which directly address your issue. Chat boxes which waste your time again with an AI that rarely understands your enquiry and wastes more time before offering to refer you to a human and invariably another long wait. And then of course there are systems that have no means of directly dealing with a human. Now we move on to realistic sounding AI voices that deal with you in what seems a human and natural manner. Of late, instances of AI being used in medical areas and making incorrect diagnoses. Making mistakes in unmanned transport systems. And I guess many of you have seen those videos where the ultimate question is when the choice is "save the human or save the system?" the AI prefers "save the system."

But perhaps the most worrying is where in war, to expedite action, life and death decisions are made by AI with drones killing people.

As the industries move along, I see a science fiction film where used robots are refubished and recycled, as is done with laptops. The former battle damaged robot has been refurbished and is now available for hire as an entertainer at childrens' parties. Oops! There was a lethal killing app in the system that somehow got overlooked in the haste to increase profits with rapid turnover in recycling. And this particular app is actavited by a single word command and some playful character at the party calls out, "Attack."

 

[marcus]

From https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/ai/articles/texas-welcomed-ai-boom-now-162443584.html
Title : Texas welcomed the AI boom. Now Abbott says data centers "dug their own grave"
By Andrew Pantazi , August 2026

Texas Governor ... saying data center companies "dug their own grave" and deserve the backlash they're facing after failing to win community support ...

In June, the Governor directed state regulators to make data centers pay the full cost of the electrical infrastructure they require and called for phasing out tax incentives.

Earlier this month, he ordered regulators to audit data centers seeking to connect to Texas' power grid before allowing the projects to move forward ...

"Gaining the support of people in local communities is essential," he said.

Besides : Pennsylvania Governor ... imposed new restrictions this week & New York Governor ... last month ordered a one-year moratorium on hyperscaler data centers ...

61% of Americans now oppose construction of a new data center in their area, according to an Annenberg Public Policy Center survey last month, up from 49% in March ...

For years, the biggest questions around the massive AI buildout were whether the technology would live up to the hype, whether companies could secure enough chips and electricity, and whether the trillions in spending made sense.

Now the most immediate constraint is whether voters will allow the physical infrastructure necessary to power the AI boom ...

Texas is among the hottest data center markets, with developers initially attracted by a pro-business state that has ample supplies of natural gas and renewables, energy infrastructure, and lots of land.

The bottom line: If voter anger hardens into more moratoriums, slower permitting or abandoned projects, it could constrain the computing infrastructure AI companies are counting on and weaken one of the fastest-growing sources of U.S. investment.

The industry — and the entire economy — face a brutal reckoning if the political tone doesn't change, quickly.