25 Sep
Technology

Business Journal poll: Readers concerned AI is moving too fast

By | September 25, 2026 - 1:35 PM

AI illustration showing a highway blocked by safety barriers, with OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and Microsoft logos above a glowing AI symbol.

An illustration depicts artificial intelligence development approaching regulatory guardrails as technology leaders and policymakers debate how to manage the risks of increasingly powerful AI systems. AI-generated illustration. Generated by ChatGPT

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More than half of Business Journal readers say artificial intelligence is developing too fast to be safely controlled, while another 27% say government oversight is needed.

In the latest Business Journal online poll, 51% of respondents said the risks of AI development outweigh the benefits. Another 27% said government oversight is needed, meaning 78% of respondents selected one of the two answers expressing concern about AI development or support for government involvement.

Just 13% said the industry can regulate itself, while 9% were unsure.

The poll received 75 votes and is an informal reader survey, not a scientific sample.

The results come as leading AI executives raise concerns about controlling increasingly powerful technology. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently told the United Nations Security Council that safeguards are needed, according to The Associated Press.

“If managed poorly, I even believe AI could be a risk to humanity as a whole,” Amodei said. Altman warned, “We could lose control of the future to AI.”

The U.S. government, however, argued against pausing AI development or constraining it through a new global governance structure.

Poll results

Do you think AI development is moving too fast to be safely controlled?

  • Yes, the risks outweigh the benefits: 51%

  • Government oversight is needed: 27%

  • No, the industry can self-regulate: 13%

  • Unsure: 9%

Total votes: 75

The results show Business Journal respondents leaning toward greater caution as policymakers and technology companies debate how — and by whom — increasingly powerful AI systems should be controlled.

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