"On the Razor's Edge:" As AI Hits Home, the Public Is Ready to Mobilize; Seismic Foundation report reveals the five groups primed for civic action

NEW YORK, July 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Seismic Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to making responsible AI a human priority, releases their report: "On the Razor's Edge: AI vs. Everything We Care About" which surveys more than 10,000 people across the U.S. and Europe and identifies five groups closest to advocacy and taking civic action on AI.

For the first time, this report reveals the public is beginning to question the narrative that AI is a net positive. Instead, people see AI as something that will make their lives worse in deeply personal ways, from eroding relationships to making it harder for their children to find work, to amplifying social inequality.

This study discovered that concern about AI is actually on the edge of breaking through to the mainstream – because people say AI will make almost everything they care about worse.

Seismic's survey reveals an emerging, deeper understanding of how AI is increasingly connecting to the issues that people care about the most. This is causing an accumulation of hidden tensions, setting the scene for heightened advocacy and civic action around AI.

"Our survey shows that people actually do care about AI, as a matter of social importance, because they've begun to understand that AI will have an impact on their lives. On their children and families. On their relationships. On their jobs. On their mental health," says Sander Volten, founder and CEO of Seismic Foundation. "This data proves that AI already is a matter of public concern, and, as tensions grow, one that is about to break into the mainstream."

Public opinion on AI is finely balanced and at a delicate point. When asked if AI makes them hopeful about the future, there is roughly a 33% split across individuals: a third of individuals are optimistic and hopeful; a third are fearful; and the rest sit uneasily in between. Across these individuals are a cross section of five groups who are politically engaged, emotionally primed and culturally connected to activate change: the Tech-Positive Urbanites, Globalist Guardians, Anxious Alarmists, Diverse Dreamers and Stressed Strivers.

"We've mapped the forest of public opinion on AI, and we've found five places where it's tinder-dry. One spark here – a news story, a round of layoffs, a data breach or other scandal – and it could set the whole thing ablaze. Our mapping of the five AI publics shows where civic activism about AI is about to start," says Volten.

This research shows the public mood on AI is balanced on a razor's edge. A single AI-enabled scandal involving children, elections, or relationships could trigger a sharp opinion swing and a surge of public engagement – most likely from one of the 5 AI publics identified in the report.

Key research findings from the report, include:

• We are more concerned about AI replacing human relationships (60%) than we are about AI disruption leading to mass unemployment (57%)
• Parents fear their kids will form unhealthy bonds with AI companions, with 67% of parents saying they'd be worried if their children developed a romantic relationship with an AI, and 52% would be worried over a friendship
• Women are 2.2 times more concerned about AI than men
• When asked if their romantic partner developed a deep emotional or romantic relationship with an AI, if it was the same as infidelity – 37% from France said "yes" compared to 50% from the U.S.
• Students think education isn't preparing them for an AI-transformed job market, with only 41% of students saying their school or university has helped them understand AI's role in their future career
• People who want more AI regulation outnumber those satisfied by current rules 3 to 1
• The public believes large AI labs are 'playing God' and doubt they have the public's best interests at heart

Download the full report to see who's poised to lead the global conversation on AI—and what the data says about what comes next.

To learn more about the survey and/or the Seismic Foundation, visit: seismic.org

About Seismic Foundation
Seismic Foundation is committed to making responsible AI a human priority and ensuring that the integration of AI in our societies is beneficial for everyone. Utilizing the power of media and data to raise awareness, build an understanding of AI, create urgency and encourage action among key decision-makers and their constituents. To learn more, visit: seismic.org.

CONTACT:
Nancy Vaughn, White Book Agency for Seismic Foundation
813.252.0295
[email protected]

SOURCE Seismic Foundation