Stanford AI Annual Report: 84% of experts believe AI benefits healthcare, while only 44% of the American public agree

ME News Report, April 14 (UTC+8), according to 1M AI News monitoring, Stanford University’s Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI) released the 2026 AI Index Annual Report on April 13, which reveals an increasingly widening perception gap between AI practitioners and the general public. The report cites survey data published by Pew Research Center in March: only 10% of Americans feel “more excited than worried” about AI entering daily life, while 56% of AI experts believe AI will have a positive impact on the U.S. in the next 20 years. Looking at specific fields, the disagreement between experts and the public is even more pronounced: - Healthcare: 84% of experts are optimistic, only 44% of the public - Workplace impact: 73% of experts are optimistic, only 23% of the public - Economic impact: 69% of experts are optimistic, only 21% of the public 64% of Americans believe AI will lead to job reductions in the next 20 years. Ipsos survey data shows that the U.S. has the lowest trust among all surveyed countries in responsible government regulation of AI, at only 31%, with Singapore highest at 81%. Additionally, the report states that 41% of American respondents believe federal AI regulation is insufficient, while 27% think it is overreaching. A positive indicator for AI: the proportion worldwide believing that AI products and services do more good than harm increased from 55% in 2024 to 59% in 2025. The more optimistic the experts are, the more anxious the public becomes. Pew and Ipsos data indicate that ordinary people are not worried about superintelligent AI losing control, but about next month’s paycheck and utility bills. AI practitioners focus on technological boundaries, while the public cares about job security—both sides are essentially talking about different things. (Source: BlockBeats)