Stanford documents Sino-American divide in attitudes toward AI

A Stanford report reveals profound differences in how Chinese and American citizens view artificial intelligence. While eight in every ten Chinese respondents express enthusiasm about AI products and services, only three in every ten Americans share that sentiment. This disparity also appears in trust measures, where 72% of Chinese trust AI compared to just 32% of Americans. Generative AI adoption is accelerating across both regions. The technology reached 53% population penetration in three years, surpassing the previous expansion speed of personal computers and the internet. In the United States, the annual value generated by generative AI tools for consumers reached 172 billion dollars in 2026, with per-user value tripling between 2025 and 2026. Despite this growth, 38% of Americans use AI weekly or daily, while 33% express explicit concern about the technology. The roots of this divergence lie in distinct historical trajectories and technological priorities. Chinese consumers experienced how previous technologies expanded economic opportunities, from mobile payments to e-commerce, building trust in future innovations. Experts describe the Chinese approach as "passionate about AI, but not obsessed with AGI" - valuing practical applications in manufacturing, education, and healthcare instead of pursuing artificial general intelligence as an exclusive goal. In the US, recent technology-related controversies created greater skepticism, particularly regarding government's ability to regulate the sector, with only 31% trusting that authorities can accomplish this task. Experts also identify differences in risk perception. Americans focus on job displacement, misinformation, and potential superintelligence, while Chinese share employment concerns but maintain broader acceptance. Expert analysis shows generalized optimism about AI impacts on individual work, yet this optimism isn't reflected in the general population, creating a significant gap between experts and ordinary citizens.