77% of voters prefer candidates who support AI safeguards for kids, poll finds
March 23, 2026 — A national poll released earlier today found that Americans overwhelmingly support placing guardrails on AI content and that voters think states should step up to protect their citizens from potential harm.
The poll of 800 likely voters, taken from March 5-9, 2026, sampled equally from self-identified Republicans and Democrats.
An overwhelming portion of respondents, 83%, said they are concerned about the development of artificial intelligence. A nearly identical (81%) percentage of voters across party lines said the government needs to create guardrails to protect consumers and children from the harms of AI.
In a result that may have real consequences in this national election year, 77% of respondents said they would prefer a candidate who advocates to protect consumers and kids from the harms of AI, as opposed to a candidate who wants no protections on AI “to beat China.”
Source: Americans on AI Guardrails & Child Safety poll, March 2026.
New National AI safety group
The poll was commissioned by the Alliance for a Better Future, a new nonprofit AI policy organization committed to “Advancing AI the American Way.”
The group’s mission stands on three pillars:
Protecting the American family;
Supporting workers who provide for their families and sustain their communities;
Advocating for America to lead on AI, and lead the American way: democratically, transparently, and true to our Constitution.
Source: Americans on AI Guardrails & Child Safety poll, March 2026.
81% want guardrails around AI
Only 10% of bipartisan respondents indicated they were in favor of no restrictions on companies developing AI, while 81% said government should place appropriate guardrails around AI to protect consumers and kids.
Source: Americans on AI Guardrails & Child Safety poll, March 2026.
States must step in
In the absence of a national standard and Congressional-led legislation on AI safety, 84% of respondents said state lawmakers must step in to protect against AI harm.
Overwhelming support for chatbot safety laws
In light of the harms now coming to light around kids and chatbots, nearly 90% of respondents indicated support for laws that prohibit chatbots from encouraging suicide, or discussing ways to end a chatbot user’s own life.
Learn more about chatbot safety
