As Anthropic battles with the Department of Defense over the use of its AI systems, 67% of Americans say private technology companies have a responsibility to set limits on how their products can be used, even if the government doesn’t agree. A further 53% say companies should have the right to restrict their AI from uses such as domestic surveillance and autonomous weapons, according to a new survey commissioned by the Information Technology Innovation Foundation (ITIF).
The survey, conducted by Morning Consult among a nationally representative sample of 1,976 U.S. adults, examines public attitudes toward AI in military operations, surveillance, the Department of Defense, and corporate responsibility for human affairs. The findings reveal strong bipartisan support for giving humans control over lethal decision-making, limiting the use of AI for domestic surveillance, and allowing technology companies to set boundaries on how they use AI.
There is bipartisan support for allowing companies to set guardrails for their AI systems, but support narrows significantly when the question becomes more specific. Democrats (73%) and Republicans (65%) agree that technology companies have a responsibility to set limits on their products. But when asked whether companies should be allowed to limit their AI to uses such as domestic surveillance and autonomous weapons, support among Republicans dropped to 43%, while support among Democrats remained more or less stable at 58%.
Key findings include:
- 79% say humans should always make the final decision before using deadly force (Democrats: 81%, Republicans: 81%)
- The majority are “very concerned” about certain AI risks across the board:
- Systems make errors in high-stakes military situations where humans cannot intervene (adults: 54%, Democrats: 61%, Republicans: 51%)
- AI is being used by the government to conduct mass surveillance of Americans (Adults: 53%; Democrats: 59%; Republicans: 48%)
- Other countries using AI for military purposes against the US (Adults: 53%, Democrats: 55%, Republicans: 55%)
- 71% agree that the United States should research and develop AI-controlled weapons to understand the technology and protect it from adversaries, even if it is never actually deployed (Democrats: 72%, Republicans: 79%)
- 46% say the government should only use AI surveillance against specific targets with court-issued warrants (Democrats: 45%; Republicans: 51%)
- 70% agree that using AI to monitor Americans without a warrant violates the Fourth Amendment (Democrats: 74%, Republicans: 71%)
- 45% oppose using emergency laws to force AI companies into compliance (Democrats: 57%, Republicans: 29%)
As for the controversy itself, 50% of Americans think Anthropic’s punishment is a government overreach that sets a dangerous precedent, while 35% think it’s necessary for national security.
Read the full survey results here.
