Overview
- The CNBC/Generation Lab survey, released Monday, asked just over 1,000 U.S. adults aged 18–34 about trust in tech leaders and attitudes toward AI and the economy.
- Majorities said they do not trust each of nine named executives to act responsibly on AI, with Palantir CEO Alex Karp drawing the highest distrust at 81 percent.
- Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella registered the highest trust on the list at about 35 percent, while most other leaders scored substantially lower trust ratings.
- Forty-five percent of respondents said AI will hurt their careers, about 40 percent said the federal government should regulate AI, and 60 percent favored slowing data-center construction.
- Respondents reported broad economic pessimism and notable support for democratic socialism, a mood tied to privacy controversies, platform decline, and executive scandals that could increase political pressure for tighter AI rules and limits on tech infrastructure.