People really hate AI, so why can’t they get enough?

Over the summer I spoke with the CEO of Springboards, a startup building an LLM designed to produce more diverse responses than mainstream rivals. He admitted, “We often say that we’re a self-loathing AI company.” I joked back, “I guess that makes me a self-loating AI journalist.” It was a joke—but it captured a wider mood. Globally, love/hate feelings toward AI are now the norm.

Public sentiment is souring: the Pew Research Center reports more US adults believe AI will have a negative than positive impact, especially among the young. A Stanford University study found over half of people worldwide feel nervous about AI products. In a Gallup poll, 71% of US adults opposed new AI data centers in their area—more than opposed nuclear plants.

Yet adoption is soaring. ChatGPT hit a billion monthly users in May, per Sensor Tower. Google DeepMind’s Gemini logged 950 million users in July. Pew notes half of US adults now use a chatbot, double the 2023 figure. One in four use it daily. Across OECD countries, over a third of adults have used generative AI recently.

These surveys reveal two truths: many dislike AI, yet many can’t stop using it. The contradiction may stem not from separate groups but from the technology’s relentless push by companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. We’re being told to brace for massive social and economic upheaval—how could anyone feel otherwise? This mirrors past techlash around Facebook, Twitter, and Google Search.

But with AI, regulation is gaining momentum: all 50 US states have proposed or passed AI laws, totaling over 2,100 bills. Open-source alternatives to Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic now exist, offering consumer choice and market pressure. Trillion-dollar companies are hard to move, but the path ahead is not yet sealed.

Over the summer I spoke with the CEO of Springboards, a startup building an LLM designed to produce more diverse responses than mainstream rivals. He admitted, “We often say that we’re a self-loathing AI company.” I joked back, “I guess that makes me a self-loating AI journalist.” It was a joke—but it captured a wider mood. Globally, love/hate feelings toward AI are now the norm.

Public sentiment is souring: the Pew Research Center reports more US adults believe AI will have a negative than positive impact, especially among the young. A Stanford University study found over half of people worldwide feel nervous about AI products. In a Gallup poll, 71% of US adults opposed new AI data centers in their area—more than opposed nuclear plants.

Yet adoption is soaring. ChatGPT hit a billion monthly users in May, per Sensor Tower. Google DeepMind’s Gemini logged 950 million users in July. Pew notes half of US adults now use a chatbot, double the 2023 figure. One in four use it daily. Across OECD countries, over a third of adults have used generative AI recently.

These surveys reveal two truths: many dislike AI, yet many can’t stop using it. The contradiction may stem not from separate groups but from the technology’s relentless push by companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. We’re being told to brace for massive social and economic upheaval—how could anyone feel otherwise? This mirrors past techlash around Facebook, Twitter, and Google Search.

But with AI, regulation is gaining momentum: all 50 US states have proposed or passed AI laws, totaling over 2,100 bills. Open-source alternatives to Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic now exist, offering consumer choice and market pressure. Trillion-dollar companies are hard to move, but the path ahead is not yet sealed.

Over the summer I spoke with the CEO of Springboards, a startup building an LLM designed to produce more diverse responses than mainstream rivals. He admitted, “We often say that we’re a self-loathing AI company.” I joked back, “I guess that makes me a self-loating AI journalist.” It was a joke—but it captured a wider mood. Globally, love/hate feelings toward AI are now the norm.

Public sentiment is souring: the Pew Research Center reports more US adults believe AI will have a negative than positive impact, especially among the young. A Stanford University study found over half of people worldwide feel nervous about AI products. In a Gallup poll, 71% of US adults opposed new AI data centers in their area—more than opposed nuclear plants.

Yet adoption is soaring. ChatGPT hit a billion monthly users in May, per Sensor Tower. Google DeepMind’s Gemini logged 950 million users in July. Pew notes half of US adults now use a chatbot, double the 2023 figure. One in four use it daily. Across OECD countries, over a third of adults have used generative AI recently.

These surveys reveal two truths: many dislike AI, yet many can’t stop using it. The contradiction may stem not from separate groups but from the technology’s relentless push by companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. We’re being told to brace for massive social and economic upheaval—how could anyone feel otherwise? This mirrors past techlash around Facebook, Twitter, and Google Search.

But with AI, regulation is gaining momentum: all 50 US states have proposed or passed AI laws, totaling over 2,100 bills. Open-source alternatives to Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic now exist, offering consumer choice and market pressure. Trillion-dollar companies are hard to move, but the path ahead is not yet sealed.

Over the summer I spoke with the CEO of Springboards, a startup building an LLM designed to produce more diverse responses than mainstream rivals. He admitted, “We often say that we’re a self-loathing AI company.” I joked back, “I guess that makes me a self-loating AI journalist.” It was a joke—but it captured a wider mood. Globally, love/hate feelings toward AI are now the norm.

Public sentiment is souring: the Pew Research Center reports more US adults believe AI will have a negative than positive impact, especially among the young. A Stanford University study found over half of people worldwide feel nervous about AI products. In a Gallup poll, 71% of US adults opposed new AI data centers in their area—more than opposed nuclear plants.

Yet adoption is soaring. ChatGPT hit a billion monthly users in May, per Sensor Tower. Google DeepMind’s Gemini logged 950 million users in July. Pew notes half of US adults now use a chatbot, double the 2023 figure. One in four use it daily. Across OECD countries, over a third of adults have used generative AI recently.

These surveys reveal two truths: many dislike AI, yet many can’t stop using it. The contradiction may stem not from separate groups but from the technology’s relentless push by companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. We’re being told to brace for massive social and economic upheaval—how could anyone feel otherwise? This mirrors past techlash around Facebook, Twitter, and Google Search.

But with AI, regulation is gaining momentum: all 50 US states have proposed or passed AI laws, totaling over 2,100 bills. Open-source alternatives to Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic now exist, offering consumer choice and market pressure. Trillion-dollar companies are hard to move, but the path ahead is not yet sealed.

Over the summer I spoke with the CEO of Springboards, a startup building an LLM designed to produce more diverse responses than mainstream rivals. He admitted, “We often say that we’re a self-loathing AI company.” I joked back, “I guess that makes me a self-loating AI journalist.” It was a joke—but it captured a wider mood. Globally, love/hate feelings toward AI are now the norm.

Public sentiment is souring: the Pew Research Center reports more US adults believe AI will have a negative than positive impact, especially among the young. A Stanford University study found over half of people worldwide feel nervous about AI products. In a Gallup poll, 71% of US adults opposed new AI data centers in their area—more than opposed nuclear plants.

Yet adoption is soaring. ChatGPT hit a billion monthly users in May, per Sensor Tower. Google DeepMind’s Gemini logged 950 million users in July. Pew notes half of US adults now use a chatbot, double the 2023 figure. One in four use it daily. Across OECD countries, over a third of adults have used generative AI recently.

These surveys reveal two truths: many dislike AI, yet many can’t stop using it. The contradiction may stem not from separate groups but from the technology’s relentless push by companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. We’re being told to brace for massive social and economic upheaval—how could anyone feel otherwise? This mirrors past techlash around Facebook, Twitter, and Google Search.

But with AI, regulation is gaining momentum: all 50 US states have proposed or passed AI laws, totaling over 2,100 bills. Open-source alternatives to Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic now exist, offering consumer choice and market pressure. Trillion-dollar companies are hard to move, but the path ahead is not yet sealed.

Over the summer I spoke with the CEO of Springboards, a startup building an LLM designed to produce more diverse responses than mainstream rivals. He admitted, “We often say that we’re a self-loathing AI company.” I joked back, “I guess that makes me a self-loating AI journalist.” It was a joke—but it captured a wider mood. Globally, love/hate feelings toward AI are now the norm.

Public sentiment is souring: the Pew Research Center reports more US adults believe AI will have a negative than positive impact, especially among the young. A Stanford University study found over half of people worldwide feel nervous about AI products. In a Gallup poll, 71% of US adults opposed new AI data centers in their area—more than opposed nuclear plants.

Yet adoption is soaring. ChatGPT hit a billion monthly users in May, per Sensor Tower. Google DeepMind’s Gemini logged 950 million users in July. Pew notes half of US adults now use a chatbot, double the 2023 figure. One in four use it daily. Across OECD countries, over a third of adults have used generative AI recently.

These surveys reveal two truths: many dislike AI, yet many can’t stop using it. The contradiction may stem not from separate groups but from the technology’s relentless push by companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. We’re being told to brace for massive social and economic upheaval—how could anyone feel otherwise? This mirrors past techlash around Facebook, Twitter, and Google Search.

But with AI, regulation is gaining momentum: all 50 US states have proposed or passed AI laws, totaling over 2,100 bills. Open-source alternatives to Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic now exist, offering consumer choice and market pressure. Trillion-dollar companies are hard to move, but the path ahead is not yet sealed.

Over the summer I spoke with the CEO of Springboards, a startup building an LLM designed to produce more diverse responses than mainstream rivals. He admitted, “We often say that we’re a self-loathing AI company.” I joked back, “I guess that makes me a self-loating AI journalist.” It was a joke—but it captured a wider mood. Globally, love/hate feelings toward AI are now the norm.

Public sentiment is souring: the Pew Research Center reports more US adults believe AI will have a negative than positive impact, especially among the young. A Stanford University study found over half of people worldwide feel nervous about AI products. In a Gallup poll, 71% of US adults opposed new AI data centers in their area—more than opposed nuclear plants.

Yet adoption is soaring. ChatGPT hit a billion monthly users in May, per Sensor Tower. Google DeepMind’s Gemini logged 950 million users in July. Pew notes half of US adults now use a chatbot, double the 2023 figure. One in four use it daily. Across OECD countries, over a third of adults have used generative AI recently.

These surveys reveal two truths: many dislike AI, yet many can’t stop using it. The contradiction may stem not from separate groups but from the technology’s relentless push by companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. We’re being told to brace for massive social and economic upheaval—how could anyone feel otherwise? This mirrors past techlash around Facebook, Twitter, and Google Search.

But with AI, regulation is gaining momentum: all 50 US states have proposed or passed AI laws, totaling over 2,100 bills. Open-source alternatives to Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic now exist, offering consumer choice and market pressure. Trillion-dollar companies are hard to move, but the path ahead is not yet sealed.

Over the summer I spoke with the CEO of Springboards, a startup building an LLM designed to produce more diverse responses than mainstream rivals. He admitted, “We often say that we’re a self-loathing AI company.” I joked back, “I guess that makes me a self-loating AI journalist.” It was a joke—but it captured a wider mood. Globally, love/hate feelings toward AI are now the norm.

Public sentiment is souring: the Pew Research Center reports more US adults believe AI will have a negative than positive impact, especially among the young. A Stanford University study found over half of people worldwide feel nervous about AI products. In a Gallup poll, 71% of US adults opposed new AI data centers in their area—more than opposed nuclear plants.

Yet adoption is soaring. ChatGPT hit a billion monthly users in May, per Sensor Tower. Google DeepMind’s Gemini logged 950 million users in July. Pew notes half of US adults now use a chatbot, double the 2023 figure. One in four use it daily. Across OECD countries, over a third of adults have used generative AI recently.

These surveys reveal two truths: many dislike AI, yet many can’t stop using it. The contradiction may stem not from separate groups but from the technology’s relentless push by companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. We’re being told to brace for massive social and economic upheaval—how could anyone feel otherwise? This mirrors past techlash around Facebook, Twitter, and Google Search.

But with AI, regulation is gaining momentum: all 50 US states have proposed or passed AI laws, totaling over 2,100 bills. Open-source alternatives to Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic now exist, offering consumer choice and market pressure. Trillion-dollar companies are hard to move, but the path ahead is not yet sealed.

Over the summer I spoke with the CEO of Springboards, a startup building an LLM designed to produce more diverse responses than mainstream rivals. He admitted, “We often say that we’re a self-loathing AI company.” I joked back, “I guess that makes me a self-loating AI journalist.” It was a joke—but it captured a wider mood. Globally, love/hate feelings toward AI are now the norm.

Public sentiment is souring: the Pew Research Center reports more US adults believe AI will have a negative than positive impact, especially among the young. A Stanford University study found over half of people worldwide feel nervous about AI products. In a Gallup poll, 71% of US adults opposed new AI data centers in their area—more than opposed nuclear plants.

Yet adoption is soaring. ChatGPT hit a billion monthly users in May, per Sensor Tower. Google DeepMind’s Gemini logged 950 million users in July. Pew notes half of US adults now use a chatbot, double the 2023 figure. One in four use it daily. Across OECD countries, over a third of adults have used generative AI recently.

These surveys reveal two truths: many dislike AI, yet many can’t stop using it. The contradiction may stem not from separate groups but from the technology’s relentless push by companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. We’re being told to brace for massive social and economic upheaval—how could anyone feel otherwise? This mirrors past techlash around Facebook, Twitter, and Google Search.

But with AI, regulation is gaining momentum: all 50 US states have proposed or passed AI laws, totaling over 2,100 bills. Open-source alternatives to Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic now exist, offering consumer choice and market pressure. Trillion-dollar companies are hard to move, but the path ahead is not yet sealed.

Over the summer I spoke with the CEO of Springboards, a startup building an LLM designed to produce more diverse responses than mainstream rivals. He admitted, “We often say that we’re a self-loathing AI company.” I joked back, “I guess that makes me a self-loating AI journalist.” It was a joke—but it captured a wider mood. Globally, love/hate feelings toward AI are now the norm.

Public sentiment is souring: the Pew Research Center reports more US adults believe AI will have a negative than positive impact, especially among the young. A Stanford University study found over half of people worldwide feel nervous about AI products. In a Gallup poll, 71% of US adults opposed new AI data centers in their area—more than opposed nuclear plants.

Yet adoption is soaring. ChatGPT hit a billion monthly users in May, per Sensor Tower. Google DeepMind’s Gemini logged 950 million users in July. Pew notes half of US adults now use a chatbot, double the 2023 figure. One in four use it daily. Across OECD countries, over a third of adults have used generative AI recently.

These surveys reveal two truths: many dislike AI, yet many can’t stop using it. The contradiction may stem not from separate groups but from the technology’s relentless push by companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. We’re being told to brace for massive social and economic upheaval—how could anyone feel otherwise? This mirrors past techlash around Facebook, Twitter, and Google Search.

But with AI, regulation is gaining momentum: all 50 US states have proposed or passed AI laws, totaling over 2,100 bills. Open-source alternatives to Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic now exist, offering consumer choice and market pressure. Trillion-dollar companies are hard to move, but the path ahead is not yet sealed.

Over the summer I spoke with the CEO of Springboards, a startup building an LLM designed to produce more diverse responses than mainstream rivals. He admitted, “We often say that we’re a self-loathing AI company.” I joked back, “I guess that makes me a self-loating AI journalist.” It was a joke—but it captured a wider mood. Globally, love/hate feelings toward AI are now the norm.

Public sentiment is souring: the Pew Research Center reports more US adults believe AI will have a negative than positive impact, especially among the young. A Stanford University study found over half of people worldwide feel nervous about AI products. In a Gallup poll, 71% of US adults opposed new AI data centers in their area—more than opposed nuclear plants.

Yet adoption is soaring. ChatGPT hit a billion monthly users in May, per Sensor Tower. Google DeepMind’s Gemini logged 950 million users in July. Pew notes half of US adults now use a chatbot, double the 2023 figure. One in four use it daily. Across OECD countries, over a third of adults have used generative AI recently.

These surveys reveal two truths: many dislike AI, yet many can’t stop using it. The contradiction may stem not from separate groups but from the technology’s relentless push by companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. We’re being told to brace for massive social and economic upheaval—how could anyone feel otherwise? This mirrors past techlash around Facebook, Twitter, and Google Search.

But with AI, regulation is gaining momentum: all 50 US states have proposed or passed AI laws, totaling over 2,100 bills. Open-source alternatives to Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic now exist, offering consumer choice and market pressure. Trillion-dollar companies are hard to move, but the path ahead is not yet sealed.

Over the summer I spoke with the CEO of Springboards, a startup building an LLM designed to produce more diverse responses than mainstream rivals. He admitted, “We often say that we’re a self-loathing AI company.” I joked back, “I guess that makes me a self-loating AI journalist.” It was a joke—but it captured a wider mood. Globally, love/hate feelings toward AI are now the norm.

Public sentiment is souring: the Pew Research Center reports more US adults believe AI will have a negative than positive impact, especially among the young. A Stanford University study found over half of people worldwide feel nervous about AI products. In a Gallup poll, 71% of US adults opposed new AI data centers in their area—more than opposed nuclear plants.

Yet adoption is soaring. ChatGPT hit a billion monthly users in May, per Sensor Tower. Google DeepMind’s Gemini logged 950 million users in July. Pew notes half of US adults now use a chatbot, double the 2023 figure. One in four use it daily. Across OECD countries, over a third of adults have used generative AI recently.

These surveys reveal two truths: many dislike AI, yet many can’t stop using it. The contradiction may stem not from separate groups but from the technology’s relentless push by companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. We’re being told to brace for massive social and economic upheaval—how could anyone feel otherwise? This mirrors past techlash around Facebook, Twitter, and Google Search.

But with AI, regulation is gaining momentum: all 50 US states have proposed or passed AI laws, totaling over 2,100 bills. Open-source alternatives to Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic now exist, offering consumer choice and market pressure. Trillion-dollar companies are hard to move, but the path ahead is not yet sealed.