President Donald Trump is heading into the 2026 election year vowing to pull out all the stops to promote artificial intelligence — just as American voters are starting to voice some doubts.
All through Trump’s first year back in office, almost everyone had something to say about AI. Economists detailed how it’s powering US growth. White House aides explained why it’s key to staying ahead of China. Stock-watchers cheered a market boom, and fretted about a bubble. Tech geeks speculated about what the bots might one day be able to do.
The president helped fuel the buzz, appearing alongside various tycoons to announce big AI projects. On Thursday, he signed an order seeking to limit states from imposing their own curbs on AI — marking another win for the industry.
“Our administration is committed to total dominance in technology,” he said a day before at a White House event with prominent tech executives. “Right now, we’re leading artificial intelligence by a lot.”
One group that hasn’t gotten much of a hearing above the hubbub is the US electorate. But in last month’s off-year contests there were signs of an AI backlash, one that could amplify concerns about the cost of living and the job-market outlook in Trump’s economy.
