OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says AI is facing growing resistance in the United States, warning that the technology currently has “a bunch of potential headwinds.”
Speaking at BlackRock’s U.S. Infrastructure Summit in Washington, D.C., Altman said AI is “not very popular in the US right now.” He noted that data centers are increasingly blamed for rising electricity prices and that many companies attribute layoffs to AI, whether or not the technology is actually responsible.
He also pointed to an ongoing debate about the balance of power between governments and technology companies.
Recent surveys suggest public skepticism is significant. An NBC News poll found 57% of voters believe the risks of AI outweigh the benefits. A Pew Research Center study also showed that half of U.S. adults feel more concerned than excited about AI, up 13 percentage points since 2021.
Altman said these political pressures could become a weakness for the U.S. in the global AI race, even though the country currently leads China. He argued that maintaining that lead will depend on how quickly businesses, scientists, and the government adopt the technology, as well as how the U.S. manages supply chain challenges.
“If we don’t move as quickly as other countries on economic adoption, we could lose the advantage we have as an economic powerhouse,” Altman said.
Despite the concerns, he described AI as a rare opportunity to significantly boost the economy and reshape parts of society that no longer work effectively.