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As artificial intelligence capabilities get better and better, most Americans have low confidence in their ability to tell whether AI has been used to product content. So how would they react if they found out AI was involved – after the fact?
To see how adults would react to seven hypothetical scenarios where they learned (after the fact) that AI was involved in tasks traditionally done by humans, Pew Research Center polled 5,023 adults from June 9-15, 2025.
What they found: While most wouldn’t care if a song they liked was produced by AI, Americans draw the line when it comes to politics, financial services, and journalism.
Most Americans (71%) said they’d like a political candidate less if they found out the candidate had used AI to craft a speech they liked, while just 25% said they wouldn’tchange their feelings or views. Only 3% said they’d like the candidate more. Americans felt similarly about applying for a loan (57% said they’d feel more negative about applying if they found out AI had been used to evaluate their financials) and reading a news article they felt informed by (56% said they’d feel less confident about what they learned).
Americans were split between a negative reaction and no reaction when it came to art and, surprisingly, medical advice. While 49% said they’d like a painting less if they found out it was done by AI, a nearly identical share (48%) said they wouldn’t change their views. And if they’d gotten a promising treatment recommendation from their doctor and found out AI was used, 45% would feel worse about what their doctor told them – while 41% wouldn’t change their opinion.
Most Americans were ambivalent about whether AI was used in a customer service chatbot they liked (53% said it wouldn’t change their feelings) and in a song they liked (58% said it wouldn’t change their views of the song).
Younger adults are much more likely than older Americans to have a negative reaction to finding out that a song or piece of art was done by AI, not a human. While 66% of adults under 30 said they’d like a painting less if they found out it was created by AI, compared to just 36% of Americans ages 65+. And when it comes to songs, 53% of adults under 30 said they’d like an AI-created song less, compared to 26% of those 65+.
These findings highlight a divide in how Americans judge AI’s role in different parts of life – using it as a practical or creative tools without disclosing AI usage up front may be acceptable, but when it comes to trust-driven areas like politics, finance, and news, people want the human touch. As AI becomes more embedded in daily life, winning public confidence may depend on where and how AI usage is disclosed.
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