New poll shows uncertainty about AI’s impact on the heartland, while highlighting its potential to drive economic growth in key sectors

Bentonville, Ark. – Heartland Forward – a policy think-and-do tank working to be a resource for state and local communities in the middle of the country – today released a first-of-its-kind poll on the region’s perceptions and attitudes regarding artificial intelligence (AI). The poll, conducted in nine states across the heartland, reveals a sense of uncertainty and concern regarding AI, while also highlighting significant opportunities for innovation, economic growth and hope for the region to harness the power of responsible AI adoption.

AI is becoming a mainstay in American life, with the potential to add up to $8.3 trillion to the U.S. economy by 2035. At the same, a majority of Americans across the heartland have concerns about AI and are apprehensive about its potential impact on jobs and broader society.

However, there is widespread hope across the heartland for AI’s potential to positively impact industries critical to the region including health care, manufacturing, agriculture and education. This suggests when people consider the specific applications of AI, instead of AI as an undefined concept, trepidation about the technology turns to potential opportunity.

Key findings of Heartland Forward’s AI poll across Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma and Tennessee include:

• Across all nine states surveyed, nearly 100% (ranging 93 – 99%) respondents believe it is at least moderately important for governments to regulate AI.
• Over 75% of respondents believe AI has moderate to high potential to positively impact critical heartland-leading industries such as health care, agriculture and manufacturing.
  • Health care: 78.5% of respondents believe AI has potential to make a positive difference in health care.
  • Agriculture: 77.0% of respondents believe AI has potential to make a positive difference in agriculture.
  • Manufacturing: 76.7% of respondents believe AI has potential to make a positive difference in manufacturing.
  • Education: 77.4% of respondents believe AI has potential to make a positive difference in education. 
• The majority of respondents believe AI will have beneficial applications across numerous industries, signaling an interest in innovation.
• The majority of respondents agree they should receive AI training in the workplace, indicating a willingness to embrace AI through education and training.
• Almost no respondents are confident AI can make unbiased ethical decisions, indicating a need for transparency in AI’s decision-making process.
• Almost no respondents are confident in AI’s ability to safeguard privacy and data, which likely contributes to the desire for government regulation of AI.
• Almost all respondents believe AI could negatively impact job opportunities and career paths, likely contributing to overall trepidation about AI.

“AI is no longer a technology of the future – it’s here and becoming a critical tool for businesses and communities nationwide,” said Angie Cooper, executive vice president of Heartland Forward. “This data clearly shows there is great potential for the heartland to become an AI champion, especially when it comes to integrating AI into key industries to drive progress. Heartland Forward is committed to bringing together stakeholders in the middle of the country to advocate for thoughtful education around AI – ensuring we have smart policies, creating trust and transparency while harnessing the power of AI to drive economic success of the heartland.”  

While acknowledging AI’s potential societal implications, the poll reveals a resilient belief in leveraging AI for positive change. The poll shows the heartland is interested in policies and regulations that ensure AI is safe and ethical, giving the broader heartland a pathway to lead in the responsible adoption of AI through innovation, education and regulatory frameworks.

This presents a unique opportunity for the middle of the country to lead by example – if it acts now. To do this and further understand the region’s feelings on Al, Heartland Forward has hosted salon-style dinners in several heartland communities to discuss how best to leverage AI for good. What these dinners have shown, is that the public is truly interested in understanding how best to incorporate AI into the future, as it was clear to attendees that the technology is here to stay. The dinners also illuminated the express wish for more cross-industry dialogues, as people feel that AI will likely impact all corners of business and society. These efforts are helping to chart a course forward grounded in data and guided by the sentiments of those who live and work in the heartland. Additionally, Heartland Forward has also published white-papers on AI titled “Exploring the Impacts of AI in the Heartland States,” “Artificial Intelligence Presents New Opportunities For Heartland States” and “Heartland Has Less to Fear from AI.”

“The heartland can’t take a wait and see approach to AI and risk getting left behind,” said Cooper. “To best harness the power of AI, we must focus on the opportunities it affords in education, manufacturing, health care and beyond—all while working together to craft thoughtful guardrails. By actively learning more about the technology, investing in education opportunities, better understanding possible regulatory frameworks and convening key stakeholders and decision makers, the heartland can become the epicenter for smart AI adoption and innovation.” 

For more information on Heartland Forward and its work to build thriving, resilient communities across the American heartland, please visit www.heartlandforward.org.

###

About Heartland Forward
Heartland Forward is a policy think-and-do-tank dedicated to being a resource for states and local communities in the middle of the country. We do this by studying broad economic trends and building data-driven and community-tested partnerships, programs and policies to address the needs of the heartland – all while helping to change the narrative about the middle of the country and kick-starting economic growth.

About the Heartland AI Poll
This poll was conducted by polling group Aaru, utilizing AI-powered simulations to achieve hyper-accurate results free from human bias. The survey included a minimum of 500 respondents per state based on data accurate as of June 27, 2024. Respondents, aged 15 and older, were representative of their state’s demographics. Aaru’s methodology involved recreating digital environments with recent news and social media, then populating them with AI-generated respondents reflecting real human profiles.