Poll: 77% of Americans want to slow or pause AI development

On October 6, 2026, The Decoder reported the results of a Quinnipiac University poll on public attitudes toward AI development in the United States. According to the survey, 77% of Americans want AI development to slow down or stop until its safety has been verified. A further 86% of respondents said they support independent safety standards for AI.

The poll also measured how much people trust the companies building the technology. It found that 74% of respondents have little or no trust in AI company leaders. Chetan Jaiswal, a researcher involved in the work, said the public wants safeguards that do not depend simply on taking company leaders at their word.

That is the extent of what the report contains. The article, titled "Most Americans want AI development to slow down or stop entirely, new poll finds," presents the three headline figures — 77% in favor of slowing or halting development pending safety verification, 86% backing independent safety standards, and 74% expressing little or no trust in AI company leaders — along with Jaiswal's comment. It does not name any specific company, model, or product, and it does not give the dates on which the poll was conducted or the size of its sample.

As it stands, the story ends at the release of the poll results. No policy response, regulatory action, or statement from an AI company is described in the material available, and the report does not indicate what, if anything, might follow from the findings.