A recent report from Rasmussen and the Heartland Institute’s Glenn C. Haskins Emerging Issues Center revealed some stunning attitudes towards artificial intelligence (AI) amongst young voters.  The report surveyed 1,496 likely voters aged 18-39 regarding issues of AI and governmental control. The survey found that 41% of young voters supported giving an advanced AI system the authority to control the majority of public policy decisions. The support for this was even high amongst conservatives, who have generally been more skeptical of AI, with 55% supporting such a proposal. Forty-nine percent strongly opposed such a measure.

Thirty-five percent also supported a proposal that gave “an advanced AI system the authority to control all of the world’s largest militaries, with the express purpose of reducing the number of people who die from war.” Similarly, 36% supported giving AI authority over the rights of individuals. More than a third would support allowing an AI system to replace the Constitution and Supreme Court.

Women were less likely than men to want to cede control to AI (37% to 46%). White people were also less likely to support the use of AI in determining rights, with only 29% supporting it while 46% of black voters supported such a measure and 50% of Hispanic voters. Younger voters shared a higher support for AI control, with 40% of those aged 18-24 supporting giving AI control over the military while only 30% of those aged 30-39 supported such a measure.

Donald Kendal, director of the Heartland Institute’s Emerging Issues Center, called the results “stunning.” “What we are seeing is the early emergence of an AI strong man mentality among younger Americans,” he said. “Younger generations are increasingly disillusioned with the failures of traditional institutions, so much so, that they are willing to hand control to artificial intelligence.” Kendal suggested the results were a result of seeking a better alternative. “For many, the thought process is: these institutions are already so broken, corrupt, and ineffective, how could it get any worse if we were to put AI in charge? These poll results illustrate an incredibly dangerous trajectory for any society that values personal autonomy and liberty,” he said.

Reception on social media was tepid over the results, with some equating AI to the “mark of the beast,” the biblical mark that will note the end of days. “Forty-one percent of young voters say they’d give AI government power,” wrote one user on X. “Perhaps we need to make it mandatory for students to watch the Terminator movies and read George Orwell’s 1984.”