What is AI sentiment?
AI sentiment means how people feel about artificial intelligence: whether they expect it to help or harm them, whether they trust the companies using it, and whether it makes them nervous. Pollsters such as Ipsos and Pew Research Center measure it with large surveys across many countries, and they keep finding the same pattern. People in emerging economies tend to be enthusiastic, while people in rich Western countries are much more doubtful.
The infographic by Marcus Lu for Visual Capitalist shows that pattern clearly. It uses an Ipsos survey of 28 countries, carried out for the World Economic Forum in late 2021, which asked adults whether products and services using AI have more benefits than drawbacks, and sets the answers against each country’s income per head [1][2].
The phrase is also used in a second sense. “AI sentiment analysis” is the use of AI to read the tone of text, such as reviews or social media posts, and label it positive, negative or neutral. Companies use it to track what customers say about a brand. This article is about the first meaning: what the public thinks of AI.
AI sentiment by country
Across the 28 countries Ipsos surveyed, about half of adults (52%) said AI products and services have more benefits than drawbacks [2]. The spread between countries was wide. These are the most and least positive countries in that survey.
| Country | Agree AI has more benefits than drawbacks | GDP per head (2021) |
|---|---|---|
| China | 78% | $12,556 |
| Saudi Arabia | 76% | $23,186 |
| India | 71% | $2,257 |
| Peru | 70% | $6,622 |
| Malaysia | 65% | $11,109 |
| Mexico | 65% | $10,046 |
| Colombia | 64% | $6,104 |
| Chile | 63% | $16,265 |
| South Korea | 62% | $34,998 |
| Türkiye | 60% | $9,661 |
| Great Britain | 38% | |
| Germany | 37% | |
| United States | 35% | |
| Netherlands | 33% | |
| Canada | 32% | |
| France | 31% |
Sources: Ipsos Global Advisor survey for the World Economic Forum, fieldwork 19 November to 3 December 2021, published January 2022; top ten and GDP per head from Visual Capitalist, which cites the World Bank [1][2][3].
The other countries in the survey, including Brazil, South Africa, Spain, Italy, Japan, Sweden and Australia, sat between these two groups.
Why richer countries are more sceptical about AI
The most positive countries are mostly middle-income economies, and the least positive are among the richest. Saudi Arabia is the main exception: a high-income country with 76% in favour [1][2]. Ipsos found the same split on almost every question it asked. In China 87% said AI products make their life easier, against 39% in France and 41% in the US. Trust in companies that use AI ran from 76% in China and 73% in Saudi Arabia to about a third in Canada (34%), France (34%), the US (35%) and Great Britain (35%) [2].
Nobody knows for certain why, but a few explanations come up:
- The kind of work people do. Visual Capitalist suggests differences in economic structure could play a part. In 2019 services employed 79% of US workers and 47% of Chinese workers, while agriculture employed 1% and 25% [1].
- Who answered. Ipsos warns that its online samples in countries such as China and India were “more urban, more educated, and more affluent than the general population”, so they lean towards the most tech-savvy people [1].
- Familiarity. Ipsos found people in emerging countries were more likely to say they understand AI, and trust in companies using AI was highly correlated with familiarity [2].
Has AI sentiment changed since ChatGPT?
Yes, slightly, and mostly in the sceptical countries. The Ipsos survey above was carried out a year before ChatGPT launched [1]. When Ipsos asked the same question in 2024, the global share who said AI products have more benefits than drawbacks had risen from 52% to 55%, and 18 of the 26 countries surveyed both times had become more positive [3].
The biggest gains were in the countries that had been most doubtful. Since 2022, optimism rose by 10 points in Germany and France, 8 in Great Britain and Canada, and 4 in the United States [3]. The divide is still there, though. In 2024, 83% in China, 80% in Indonesia and 77% in Thailand saw more benefits than drawbacks, against 40% in Canada, 39% in the US and 36% in the Netherlands [3].
Expectations have grown faster than enthusiasm. Two thirds of people now think AI products and services will significantly change their daily life within three to five years, up 6 points since 2022 [3]. Fewer expect it to help where it matters most to them: 55% think AI will save time, but only 38% think it will improve health, 36% the national economy and 31% the job market [3].
Are people more worried or excited about AI?
More worried than excited, on balance. Pew Research Center’s spring 2025 survey of 25 countries found a median of 34% of adults more concerned than excited about the growing use of AI in daily life, 42% equally concerned and excited, and only 16% more excited than concerned [4]. In no country was the largest group mainly excited [4].
Concern was highest in the United States, Italy, Australia, Brazil and Greece, where about half of adults said they were more concerned than excited; in South Korea only 16% said so [4]. Within countries, older adults, women and people with less education were more likely to be mainly worried, and people who use the internet almost constantly were more likely to be excited [4]. In the UK, for example, 47% of women were more concerned than excited, compared with 32% of men [4].
Most people trust their own country to regulate AI, from 89% in India to only 22% in Greece; Americans were split, 44% trusting and 47% not [4]. Asked about other regulators, a median of 53% trusted the EU to regulate AI effectively, 37% the US and 27% China [4].
Questions about AI sentiment
Which country is most positive about AI?
China. In Ipsos’ 2021 survey, 78% of Chinese adults said AI products and services have more benefits than drawbacks, and by 2024 the figure was 83% [2][3].
Which countries are most negative about AI?
Rich Western countries. In the 2021 survey France (31%), Canada (32%), the Netherlands (33%) and the US (35%) were the least likely to see more benefits than drawbacks [2]. In 2024 the Netherlands (36%), the US (39%) and Canada (40%) were among the lowest [3].
How do Americans feel about AI?
Mostly cautious. Only 35% of Americans saw more benefits than drawbacks in 2021, rising to 39% in 2024 [2][3]. In Pew’s 2025 survey about half of US adults were more concerned than excited about the growing use of AI [4].
Is public opinion of AI getting more positive?
Slowly. The global share seeing more benefits than drawbacks rose from 52% in 2022 to 55% in 2024, with the largest gains in countries that had been most sceptical [3].
What is AI sentiment analysis?
It is the use of AI models to judge the tone of written text, for example whether a product review is positive or negative. It is a different thing from public sentiment towards AI, which is measured with opinion surveys.
Sources
- Marcus Lu, Visualizing Global Attitudes Towards AI, Visual Capitalist, 9 May 2023, the original post of the infographic.
- Ipsos, Opinions about AI vary depending on countries’ level of economic development, January 2022.
- Stanford HAI, AI Index Report 2025, Public Opinion, using Ipsos surveys from 2022 and 2024.
- Pew Research Center, How People Around the World View AI, 15 October 2025, and Concern and excitement about AI.
Last reviewed 3 November 2026
