Break the Machine

AI backlash has moved from feeds to permits, power bills, and threat files

In April, Gallup published a statistic that should have made AI executives feel less like winners on the adoption curve. Among Americans aged 14 to 29, the share saying AI made them feel excited fell from 36 per cent in 2025 to 22 per cent in 2026, while anger rose from 22 per cent to 31 per cent. Use did not collapse, and just over half still reported …