Press Release – Metrigy AI Sentiment Index Climbs Again as Personal and Societal Optimism Diverge

Third-quarter 2026 results show regular AI use at 39.6%, widening adoption gaps by gender and income and broad support for AI accountability legislation

Oct. 2, 2026 — Metrigy today released third-quarter 2026 results from its AI Sentiment Index, finding U.S. adults’ views of artificial intelligence (AI) improved for a second consecutive quarter even as their expectations for AI’s effect on society slipped.

The Overall AI Sentiment Index rose to 103.0, up from 101.4 in the second quarter and the first-quarter 2026 baseline of 100. Unlike last quarter, when current sentiment drove nearly all of the gain, both both current sentiment and future expectations  advanced: The Current AI Sentiment Index reached 103.8 and the Future Expectations AI Index reached 102.2. Five of the six dimensions that make up the Overall index improved, led by expected economic impact, where net sentiment (positive responses minus negative) rose 4.0 percentage points to +20.7.

The one dimension to decline was expected impact on society’s future. Net expected societal impact fell 1.2 points to +20.0 while net expected personal impact climbed 3.2 points to +31.4, widening the gap between what Americans expect for themselves and for society from 7.0 points in the second quarter to 11.4 points.

“People are drawing a line between their own experience with AI and what they expect it to do to everyone else. Hands-on use is making Americans more confident they will personally come out ahead, but that confidence isn’t transferring to society at large. For businesses deploying AI, the harder job now is showing the public that the wider effects are being managed responsibly,” said Matt Craig, senior director of product development at Metrigy.

Adoption also accelerated. Regular AI use, defined as daily or weekly, reached 39.6% of U.S. adults, up 5.1 points from the second quarter and the largest quarterly increase since the tracker began. The share who have never used an AI tool fell to 20.6%.

The growth is uneven. At baseline, men and women were regular users at nearly the same rate, 34.3% and 31.3%. Men now stand at 51.3% while women, at 28.3%, are below their first-quarter level. The income divide is widening at the bottom: The share of adults earning under $20,000 who have never used AI rose from 33.7% in the first quarter to 46.1%, the only income band seeing a rise here. Among those earning $125,000 or more, only 5.0% have never used AI.

Americans also want accountability from AI developers. Nearly seven in 10 (68.6%) support the proposed AI Kill Switch Act, the bipartisan House bill introduced in July by Reps. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) and Nathaniel Moran (R-Texas) that would require AI companies to report security incidents and build the technical capacity to shut down AI systems. Only 9.7% oppose it. Net support was positive in every age, gender, income, education and regional group measured, the only question in the survey where that held. Support was highest among adults ages 25 to 34, at 78.8%, the most optimistic and heaviest-using age group.

The Metrigy AI Sentiment Index reflects a survey of 1,000 demographically representative U.S. adults, balanced and weighted by age, gender, household income, region and education. Respondents rate AI’s current and expected one- to two-year impact on their personal lives, society, and the economy, and scores use a diffusion index methodology rebased to 100 at the first quarter of 2026. The full third-quarter 2026 report is available from Metrigy at metrigy.com.If you are interested in Metrigy’s CCaaS MetriRank study, please reach out to [email protected]. 

Media Contact:

Elly Hertz

Sr. Director of Content Marketing and Design, Metrigy

[email protected]

Phone: 877-638-7449 · Cell: 815-735-7059

Author(s)

Matt Craig