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Associated Press
a day ago
- Business
- Associated Press
How US adults are using AI, according to AP-NORC polling
Most U.S. adults say they use artificial intelligence to search for information, but fewer are using it for work, drafting email or shopping. Younger adults are most likely to be leaning into AI, with many using it for brainstorming and work tasks. The new findings from an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll show that 60% of Americans overall — and 74% of those under 30 — use AI to find information at least some of the time. The poll highlights the ubiquity of AI in some areas — as well as its limits in others. Only about 4 in 10 Americans say they have used AI for work tasks or coming up with ideas, a sign that the tech industry's promises of highly productive AI assistants still haven't touched most livelihoods after years of promotion and investment. At the same time, wider AI adoption by younger Americans shows that could change. There's a particularly large age divide on brainstorming: About 6 in 10 adults under age 30 have used AI for coming up with ideas, compared with only 2 in 10 of those age 60 or older. Young adults are also more likely to use AI to come up with ideas at least 'daily.' Young adults are most likely to use AI Bridging the generations are people like Courtney Thayer, 34, who's embracing AI in some parts of her life and avoiding it in others. Thayer said she is regularly using ChatGPT to come up with ideas about planning what to eat, while also having it calculate the nutritional value of the pumpkin-banana-oat bread she's been baking for years. 'I asked it to make a meal prep for the week, then to add an Asian flair,' said Thayer, of Des Moines, Iowa. 'It wasn't the most flavorful thing I've ever had in my life, but it's a nice stepping off point. More importantly, I use it for the amount so that I'm not over-serving myself and ending up with wasted food.' The audiologist has embraced AI at work, too, in part because AI technology is imbued in the hearing aids she recommends to patients but also because it makes it easier and faster to draft professional emails. She avoids it for important information, particularly medical advice, after witnessing chatbots 'hallucinate' false information about topics she spent years studying. Roughly 4 in 10 Americans say they use AI for work tasks at least sometimes, while about one-third say they use it for helping to write emails, create or edit images, or for entertainment, according to the poll. About one-quarter say they use it to shop. Younger adults are more likely than older ones to say they have used artificial intelligence to help with various tasks, the poll shows. Searching for information is AI's most common use Of the eight options, searching for information is the most common way Americans have interacted with AI. And even that may be an undercount, since it's not always apparent how AI is surfacing what information people see online. For more than a year, the dominant search engine, Google, has automatically provided AI-generated responses that attempt to answer a person's search query, appearing at the top of results. Perhaps defying emerging media consumption trends, 28-year-old Sanaa Wilson usually skips right past those AI-generated summaries. 'It has to be a basic question like, 'What day does Christmas land on in 2025?'' said the Los Angeles-area resident. 'I'll be like, 'That makes sense. I trust it.' But when it gets to specific news, related to what's happening in California or what's happening to the education system and stuff like that, I will scroll down a little bit further.' Wilson, a freelance data scientist, does use AI heavily at work to help with coding, which she said has saved her hundreds of dollars she would have had to pay for training. She also occasionally uses it to come up with work-related ideas, an attempt to bring back a little of the collaborative brainstorming experience she remembers from college life but doesn't have now. When it first came out, Wilson said she also used ChatGPT to help write emails, until she learned more about its environmental impact and the possibility it would erode her own writing and thinking skills over time. 'It's just an email. I can work it out,' she said. 'However many minutes it takes, or seconds it takes, I can still type it myself.' Most don't use AI for companionship — but it's more common for young adults The least common of the eight AI uses was AI companionship, though even that showed an age divide. Just under 2 in 10 of all adults and about a quarter of those under 30 say they've used AI for companionship. Wilson has no interest in AI companions, though she isn't surprised that others do because of the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on her generation's social experiences. 'I totally understand and sympathize behind why people in my age group are leveraging it in that way,' Wilson said. Thayer, the audiologist, also has no interest in AI companionship, though she tries to be polite with chatbots, just in case they're keeping track. 'I mean, I am nice to it, just because I've watched movies, right?' Thayer said, laughing. 'So I'll say, 'Can you make me a meal plan, please?' And, 'Can you modify this, please?' And then I'll say, 'Thank you.'' ___ The AP-NORC poll of 1,437 adults was conducted July 10-14, using a sample drawn from NORC's probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 3.6 percentage points.
The Hill
18-07-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Americans support Trump ending Biden's green grift
The radical Left and the Biden administration treated climate policy not as an energy or environmental strategy, but as a political religion — one funded by the American taxpayer to the tune of more than $1 trillion. President Trump is right to shut off the 'green' subsidy spigot, and recent polling shows that Americans are supportive. The Orwellian-named 'Inflation Reduction Act' set aside $393 billion in green energy subsidies, funding everything from electric vehicle rebates to wind and solar tax credits. That may sound good in a press release, but it hasn't delivered for hard-working Americans. In fact, a recent Associated Press–NORC poll found that 72 percent of Americans say they haven't personally benefited from the federal government's climate initiatives. Worse yet, 60 percent of respondents believe the policies aren't worth the cost. Those numbers underscore what Texans—and energy-producing states—have long known: top-down green energy mandates don't work, nor do they help American families. Instead, they burden them. They raise utility bills, overload unreliable electric grids, and put America's energy security in the hands of hostile foreign nations like China and Saudi Arabia. Over the last twenty years, Texas has become the wind and solar capital of the nation, while electricity from natural gas has stagnated and coal use has diminished. Wind and solar have grown to about 37 percent of power on Texas' electrical grid, while coal power has decreased 21 percent over the decade. More than $140 billion in private capital has poured into wind, solar, and batteries in Texas, fueled by tens of billions in taxpayer dollars and a rigged price market. And what has it gotten us? Wind and solar have failed the grid time and time again, and they completely abandoned Texans just when power was needed most during Winter Storm Uri. They have also contributed to electricity prices rising 28 percent from 2020 to 2024. The Biden administration made 'Net Zero by 2050' the cornerstone of its energy policy. But this arbitrary goal isn't grounded in engineering, economics, or energy reality. It's driven by international climate conferences and activist talking points. Even the Associated Press admits that 42 percent of Americans aren't willing to pay even one dollar more on their electric bill for climate change, yet leftist Democrats keep forcing costly green mandates down our throats. 'Net Zero' has become a catchphrase for policies that force Americans to pay more for less energy, while weakening our nation's ability to compete globally — all to virtue-signal on the environment. Here's what radical environmentalists won't admit: the U.S. is already leading the world in emissions reductions. Thanks to the increased use of clean-burning natural gas, U.S. carbon emissions are down more than 20 percent in the last twenty years — a market-driven achievement, not a bureaucratic one. Texas has played a major role in this progress, proving that energy abundance and environmental responsibility aren't mutually exclusive. Meanwhile, the same administration that demonized fossil fuels was happy to enjoy their benefits. The oil and gas industry supports over 10 million American jobs and contributes nearly $2 trillion to our economy, about 8 percent of our GDP. Moreover, oil and natural gas still supply over 80% of America's energy, power millions of homes and vehicles, and fuel the very economy that underwrites Biden's climate spending spree. Texas does energy the right way. We lead the nation in oil and gas production. We have built the most resilient energy workforce in the world. And we do it while delivering billions in tax revenue, job creation, and energy security — not empty promises wrapped in green ribbon. Trump's move to roll back these subsidies isn't anti-environment — it's pro-reality. It is a return to policies that trust innovation and competition instead of federal micromanagement. It's a rejection of climate alarmism and an embrace of energy abundance. The American people want affordable, reliable energy. They want policies that put working families ahead of political agendas. They don't want to be forced into buying electric vehicles they can't afford, powered by grids that can't stay on. It is time we stop pretending the federal government can subsidize its way to a sustainable future. True sustainability comes from markets, not mandates — from Texas oilfields, not Washington boardrooms.
The Independent
18-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Only a quarter of Americans say Trump's policies have helped them, new poll finds
Only about a quarter of Americans believe President Donald Trump 's policies have helped them, according to a new poll. A majority of Americans believe Trump has fallen short on key issues such as the economy and immigration. These are issues he campaigned on and led former Vice President Kamala Harris on in polls during the 2024 election cycle. A poll released by the Associated Press and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research Thursday found 49 percent of Americans feel Trump's policies have done more harm than good, while only a quarter believe his policies have helped and another quarter think they have not been impacted by them. 'As it sits today, I don't know his policies have made much of a difference in my day-to-day life,' Landon Lindemer, a 29-year-old from Atlanta who voted for Trump three times, told the AP. Most Americans, 58 percent, disapprove of how Trump is handling his job as president, while 40 percent approve. Trump has been carrying out his campaign promises of the mass deportation of immigrants and in securing the U.S.- Mexico border. There have been zero Customs and Border Protection encounters at the southern border so far this month, according to government data. NBC News reports, citing government data, 56,397 migrants are currently in ICE detention, and tens of thousands of deportations have occurred since February. According to the new poll, 55 percent of Americans disapprove of Trump's immigration policies, while 43 percent approve. An even bigger chunk of Americans, 60 percent, disapprove of Trump's economic polices, while just 38 percent approve. Inflation rose slightly last month as Trump's sweeping global tariffs started to slowly affect the economy. The consumer price index ticked up by 0.3 percent in June. This put the 12-month inflation rate at 2.7 percent, according to government data. The Federal Reserve, which manages the country's monetary policy, has an inflation rate target of 2 percent. But job growth was better-than-expected in June. Most Americans also disapprove of Trump's handling of natural disaster relief, 55 percent. On the administrations other policies Americans disapprove of: the situation in the Middle East, 55 percent, taxes, 56 percent, government spending, 61 percent, trade negotiations with other countries, 61 percent, and health care, 62 percent. The poll was conducted between July 10 and 14, after Trump signed his 'big, beautiful bill' that extended his 2017 tax cuts and increased border security spending while cutting welfare programs such as Medicaid and SNAP. The U.S. bombed three of Iran's nuclear sites last month, which the Trump administration touted as a victory in an effort to keep Tehran's hands off nuclear weapons. But Trump has struggled to get Israel and Hamas to agree to a ceasefire and hostage release deal in the Gaza war, which started after Hamas' deadly October 7, 2023, attack. The poll also came after Trump and first lady Melania Trump traveled to central Texas to survey the destruction and meet with community members and local officials in the aftermath of the deadly July 4 flash floods along the Guadalupe River. Reports found the Federal Emergency Management Agency sent a fraction of the personnel to the flood site that the state had deployed, and federal workers ran into red tape while trying to assemble resources due to new guidelines implemented by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
Newsweek
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Deaf Woman Films Video in Apartment—Everyone Warns Her About the Same Thing
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. When 34-year-old Rikki Poynter shared a video filmed inside her apartment, she didn't realize it would go viral for an unexpected reason. Content creator and disability advocate Poynter was prepping a quick dinner the night before a flight, and unbeknownst to her she'd left her microwave timer beeping in the background. In a video shared on July 9, Poynter, who is deaf, responded to a comment left on a previous TikTok: "You have something beeping in your apartment Rikki." Her reply video, cheekily captioned: "Deaf person can't hear jack in her own apartment," shows her investigating the noise. "Flashbacks to when people on Snapchat kept telling me my smoke alarm batteries were dying," she wrote in the video caption. Pictures from Rikki's TikTok where she shared how she found the unexpected beeping noise. Pictures from Rikki's TikTok where she shared how she found the unexpected beeping noise. @rikkipoynter/TikTok Speaking to the camera, she says: "Let's all figure out what it is together, shall we." As she walks around her apartment, hunting for the source of the sound. A few button presses on the microwave later, and the mysterious beeping stopped. "I didn't expect 1.2+ million views and a bunch of comments to come from it," Poynter, from Nebraska, told Newsweek. "I'm someone who is often stuck in the 300 view jail so it was surprising to me." Read more Server gets note from table mid-shift, what it says leaves her "sobbing" Server gets note from table mid-shift, what it says leaves her "sobbing" What started as a playful moment became a subtle commentary on how everyday experiences are shaped differently by disability. Her original video hadn't been about the beeping at all—it was about discrimination between people with different types of disabilities, an issue she regularly tackles. But the microwave timer became an unexpected punchline. In 2024, study by NORC at the University of Chicago study for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that 37.9 million Americans have hearing loss in both ears. While bilateral hearing loss grows exponentially after age 35, leaving one in three people ages 65 to 75 and about three out of four people age 75 and older with some form of hearing loss. "I didn't originally plan to share the video," Poynter said. "It just so happened I forgot I had the timer on... and then I wanted to keep the sassy going. Over the last decade, Poynter has built a platform focused on advocacy, accessibility, and connection—especially for deaf people who, like her, grew up without access to American Sign Language or proper support. It is estimated that around one million people throughout the U.S. use American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate as their native language, making it the third most commonly used language in the U.S. after English and Spanish. ASL is used by the deaf, hard-of-hearing and those with communication disorders, giving people an essential tool for communication. Despite this, 98 percent of deaf people do not receive education in sign language, and 72 percent of families do not sign with their deaf children. "I want people to know that they have a community that's out there waiting for them if they would like to be in it," Poynter said.
Chicago Tribune
02-07-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Jerald McNair: Does students' use of AI spell the end for homework?
When a student turns in a writing assignment done at home and it's clear parts of the finished piece don't represent the kind of work the student usually does in the classroom, should the teacher grade it anyway? This is the dilemma educators face now as our youngest generations grow up in a world of artificial intelligence. Students look to get credit for work done by a digital tool. It's modern-day cheating. There used to be a time when educators would tell parents not to do their child's homework because it didn't benefit them in the long run. Those conversations could get contentious. I would often suggest to teachers to ask their students if they did the work or their parents. Children often would tell the truth. Unfortunately, it's more complex now. Parents aren't often doing the work, but for some students, a computer is. The question remains: Should homework become a thing of the past? With youths having access to AI, how do we know if students are doing the homework themselves? There are compelling arguments for and against homework. The website Helpful Professor notes that homework is time-consuming and stressful, contributes to anxiety, and is inequitable because some students don't have caregivers who can help. On the other hand, it teaches discipline, helps students manage their time better and gives students self-paced learning time. In my experience as a school leader, very few topics inspire such positive and negative comments from teachers as homework. What can help guide decisions is understanding the community and the students being served. Education in the United States is a state matter and allows for local control. A one-size-fits-all approach is not advantageous and does not take into account the differing resources and circumstances among communities. I am a big proponent of homework. That does not mean that it is best for every student. Each district should discuss what is best for the students and families they serve. However, before we use AI as a reason to forgo homework, what does the data say? More than 50% of 1,274 young people ages 14 to 22 reported using generative AI at some point in their lives, according to a 2023 survey from NORC at the University of Chicago and other research groups. Broken down further, 12% and 11% report using it once or twice per month or once or twice per week, respectively. This data tells us that AI is not being used as often as we think — at least not yet. In a study conducted by Pew Research Center in 2023, a quarter of the teachers said the use of AI tools in education does more harm than good. Almost a third said there is some benefit — as well as some cause for concern. Before use among students increases dramatically, educators and institutions of learning have an opportunity and an obligation to talk about the ethical responsibilities that students and parents have when using AI. The key is using AI in a way that does not stymie a student's creativity or replace the work they are supposed to do on their own. Teaching and expecting ethical responsibility from our youths should be a requirement at all educational institutions. As we teach these principles, hopefully, future generations will take these lessons to the labor force when they are older. When the new school year begins, districts will have to decide their stance on homework. Whatever it may be, we cannot absolve young people of their responsibilities. Teach them to do the right thing.
