AI Regulation Gains Strong Bipartisan Support as 68% of Voters Demand Safety Reviews

Overwhelming Majority Backs Formal Government Review Process

An AI Policy Institute poll conducted on June 11-12 reveals that 68% of likely U.S. voters want the government to establish a formal government review process for the most advanced AI models before they can be widely released to the public 1

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. The survey, which included 1,007 likely voters with a margin of error of 4.2%, demonstrates clear bipartisan support for tighter AI regulation that extends beyond current Trump administration policies 2

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. Only 20% of respondents favored letting companies self-regulate with government intervention occurring mainly after problems arise, while 12% remained unsure 2

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Republicans Show Greater Enthusiasm for AI Regulation Than Democrats

The AIPI survey found that 64% of Republicans and 76% of Democrats backed mandatory formal safety reviews, with 63% of independents also supporting the measure 3

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. This represents a notable shift from earlier findings that showed Republicans were more skeptical than Democrats of government intervention on AI issues 1

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. Peter Wildeford, director of policy at the AI Policy Network, noted that "Americans want to do more on AI safety" as the government takes an increasingly active role in managing risks associated with advanced AI systems 1

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Voters Prefer Regulation Over Outright Bans

When presented with choices between regulation and prohibition, survey respondents showed nuanced preferences. Two-thirds preferred having AI systems with safety guardrails rather than banning them entirely when sufficient regulation was an option 1

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. However, when asked to choose between AI systems with no regulation or complete bans, voters strongly preferred banning AI entirely. This pattern extended to AI data centers, where 47% said they would allow data centers if the AI systems being developed had safety requirements and security standards, while 38% favored banning data centers completely 1

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Federal Government-Led Safety Standards Preferred Over Company Self-Regulation

Over 60% of both Republicans and Democrats believe the federal government, not AI companies like OpenAI and Anthropic, should set clear safety standards for AI systems and evaluate companies' adherence to those rules 1

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. Currently, the majority of safety guardrails for advanced AI systems are designed and implemented by the companies themselves. More than 80% of respondents—84% of Democrats and 83% of Republicans—thought AI companies should not build AI systems smarter than humans until they can demonstrate control over those systems 1

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Trump Administration Policies Fall Short of Public Expectations

The poll results go further than existing Trump administration policy, which relies on opt-in reviews for new advanced models 1

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. On June 2, President Donald Trump signed an executive order asking AI developers to voluntarily submit their models to the federal government for security risk reviews 3

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. The order directed federal agencies to establish a testing mechanism for new AI models, but stipulated that any vetting would be voluntary. Over the past month, the administration has clashed with Anthropic and OpenAI over releasing their latest models, with OpenAI forced to release GPT-5.6 to a limited subset of trusted partners due to government safety concerns 1

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Public Concern Over AI Infrastructure Drives Local Action

The proliferation of AI data centers has become a hot-button political issue, serving as a proxy for broader fears about AI systems. America's data center boom now faces over 300 bans and moratoriums, with independent researchers finding that opponents have blocked or delayed projects worth nearly $130 billion this year 1

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. In May, a Gallup survey found 70% of Americans oppose data center construction in their communities, citing concerns about energy consumption, water usage, electronic waste, and noise pollution 3

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. In March, Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced the Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act, which would halt construction of AI infrastructure until lawmakers mandate government reviews of AI products, address job displacement, and restrict rises in consumer electricity prices 2

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