And the average American is a poor representation of everyone. The title reads “Why does everyone hate AI?” but repeatedly references surveys of Americans, not “everyone”.
Americans are outliers; the rest of the world has a much more favourable view of AI.
> AI optimism surges in Asia, unlike in the U.S.
— https://restofworld.org/2026/ai-optimism-asia/
> U.S. Workers Are More Wary of AI Than Their Global Peers.
— https://www.salesforce.com/news/stories/what-leaders-should-...
> Majorities of Americans have pessimistic views toward the impact of AI on internet disinformation and the job market, outpacing most of the 32 countries surveyed in the Ipsos AI Monitor 2026. Americans were also the most likely to feel AI will make their country’s economy worse. Not every country is pessimistic about AI. Americans clearly are.
— https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/comparing-us-and-global-attitude...
US is heavy in knowledge work and has expensive labor. So AI is posed to move employment out of US and drive employment in Asia where AI manufacturing happens.
Also from your last link;
> The pessimism isn’t uniquely American. Consistent with international Ipsos polling from 2025, the U.S. sits alongside other countries in the Anglosphere – such as Canada, Australia, and Great Britain – in being more nervous and less excited about the technology.
> Put simply, AI is built on weak social pillars. Despite growing adoption, many feel that AI poses a risk not only to their jobs, but to humanity as a whole. Amid a backdrop of widespread systemic distrust, the technology feeds into Americans’ belief that the economy is “rigged for the rich and powerful.”
> Until Americans feel the upsides of AI clearly outweigh the downsides, views of AI will likely remain negative. If AI is here to stay, so too is the backlash.
I think that last piece is the key part. AI hasn’t significantly improved anything for the average American. It only poses large structural risks. So, what’s to like about AI unless you’re in Asia and stand to gain from it?