What People Really Think About AI: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Published June 17, 2026

AI Is Everywhere — But How Do People Actually Feel About It?

Artificial intelligence has gone from a buzzword to a boardroom staple almost overnight. Whether you run a hair salon in Surrey, a plumbing company in Burnaby, or a boutique hotel in Metro Vancouver, chances are you've heard the hype — and maybe wondered if it actually lives up to it.

Public opinion on AI is nuanced. It's not a simple love-it-or-hate-it story. Most people sit somewhere in the middle: curious, cautious, and still making up their minds. Let's break it down honestly.

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😊 The Good: Real Reasons for Optimism

Globally, sentiment is trending in a positive direction. According to the Stanford HAI 2026 AI Index Report, the share of people worldwide who believe AI offers more benefits than drawbacks rose from 55% in 2024 to 59% in 2025. That's a meaningful shift, and it reflects what many business owners are experiencing firsthand.

For small businesses in particular, the results are hard to ignore:

For industries like healthcare, the outlook is especially bright. A Pew Research survey found that 44% of Americans expect AI to have a positive impact on medical care over the next 20 years — the highest positive rating of any sector surveyed.

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😟 The Bad: Legitimate Concerns Worth Taking Seriously

Optimism doesn't mean blind trust. Across every survey, people acknowledge real concerns — and small business owners are no exception.

People Are Nervous, Even When They're Optimistic

Here's the paradox the Stanford report uncovered: even as more people say AI offers benefits, the share saying AI products make them nervous also increased — reaching 52% in 2025. You can believe something is useful and still feel uneasy about it.

A Brookings Institution analysis found that feelings of skepticism and overwhelm among the U.S. public increased notably between late 2024 and early 2025, while excitement actually dipped. In a separate 2024 survey, more than half of U.S. respondents described themselves as "cautious" or "concerned" about AI.

The Expert-Public Divide

There's a striking gap between how AI experts view the technology and how the general public does. Pew Research found that while 47% of AI experts are more excited than concerned about AI's growing role in daily life, only 11% of the general public feel the same way. Experts who work with the technology daily tend to be far more optimistic — the rest of us are still catching up.

Cost and Complexity Are Real Barriers

For small business owners who want to adopt AI but haven't yet, cost is a major sticking point. The Bipartisan Policy Center reports that 55% of small business owners identify cost as a barrier to AI adoption. Complexity is another friction point — not every business owner has the time or technical know-how to vet, implement, and manage AI tools on their own.

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😬 The Ugly: The Fears That Keep People Up at Night

Beyond general nervousness, there are specific worries that come up again and again — and they deserve honest acknowledgement.

Data Privacy and Security

This is the number-one concern for most business owners. The top concern for small business owners and HR leaders surveyed by Paychex was data privacy and security, and nearly half of respondents had concerns about how tech companies use their data through AI products. When you're trusting an AI system with customer information — names, phone numbers, appointment details — that concern is completely reasonable.

AI Getting Things Wrong

AI systems can make errors. They can misinterpret a customer's request, provide outdated information, or fail to handle a nuanced situation gracefully. Small businesses that rely on their reputation can't afford for their technology to embarrass them. This is why the design and oversight of any AI tool matters enormously.

The Job Replacement Question

Fears about AI replacing human workers are widespread, even if the data increasingly suggests otherwise. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce found that 82% of small businesses using AI actually grew their workforce over the previous year. Still, the fear persists — and it shapes how employees and customers respond to AI-driven services.

Opinions Are Almost Evenly Split

According to Data for Progress, public opinion on AI sits at nearly 48% favourable and 46% unfavourable — essentially a coin flip. That's a reminder that AI tools need to earn people's trust, not assume it.

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What This Means for Local Business Owners in Metro Vancouver and Beyond

The public's mixed feelings about AI are understandable. But here's what the data keeps showing: when AI is implemented thoughtfully — transparently, with a clear purpose, and with a human backstop — it tends to win people over.

For local service businesses, the most practical AI wins right now aren't about replacing staff. They're about filling the gaps:

  • Answering calls after hours when your team has gone home
  • Booking appointments so nothing falls through the cracks on a busy Saturday
  • Responding to enquiries instantly in multiple languages, reflecting Metro Vancouver's diversity
  • Freeing up your team to focus on in-person service and skilled work

Those aren't futuristic promises. They're happening right now, in salons, clinics, trades businesses, and hotels across the Lower Mainland.

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The Bottom Line

People aren't wrong to be thoughtful about AI. The concerns around privacy, accuracy, and trust are legitimate and worth taking seriously. But the growing body of evidence — from global surveys to small business case studies — suggests that AI, used with intention and care, delivers real value.

The businesses that are winning aren't the ones that adopted AI because it was trendy. They're the ones that found the right tool for a specific problem — and made sure it actually worked for their customers.

Curious what AI could do for your front desk or phone line? Get in touch with AutoFlow AI — we help local businesses in Surrey and Metro Vancouver handle every call, every booking, and every customer, even when you can't be there to pick up the phone.

Cited Links:

https://hai.stanford.edu/ai-index/2026-ai-index-report/public-opinion https://www.brookings.edu/articles/what-the-public-thinks-about-ai-and-the-implications-for-governance/ https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/03/12/key-findings-about-how-americans-view-artificial-intelligence/ https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2025/04/03/how-the-us-public-and-ai-experts-view-artificial-intelligence/ https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2025/10/15/how-people-around-the-world-view-ai/ https://www.goldmansachs.com/pressroom/press-releases/2025/small-business-owners-plan-to-grow https://www.uschamber.com/technology/empowering-small-businesses-the-impact-of-ai-on-leveling-the-playing-field/ https://www.uschamber.com/co/run/technology/impact-of-technology-small-business https://www.nextinsurance.com/blog/ai-for-small-business/ https://www.paychex.com/articles/human-resources/small-business-ai-impact https://orionpolicy.org/empowering-small-businesses-the-impact-of-ai-on-leveling-the-playing-field/ https://www.dataforprogress.org/blog/2026/2/27/public-opinion-on-artificial-intelligence-varies-widely-by-age-gender-race-and-frequency-of-use https://www.myaifrontdesk.com/features/ai-answering-for-small-businesses https://aragonresearch.com/public-opinion-on-ai-in-2025/

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