Voters Doubt Crypto, Worry AI as PACs Spend Millions

A new survey finds rising public skepticism of both cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence as industry-aligned political action committees spend large sums on primary and midterm contests. The poll found 45% of U.S. adults say investing in cryptocurrency is not worth the risk, while 44% say AI is developing too quickly.

The survey was conducted April 11–14 and collected responses from 2,035 U.S. adults. The overall margin of error is ±2.2 percentage points. The poll was carried out by Public First.

Respondents reported greater trust in traditional banks than in crypto platforms, with nearly half expressing more confidence in banks. About two-thirds of those surveyed supported strict regulation or broad oversight of AI. Close to 50% said they expect AI to eliminate more jobs than it creates, and 43% judged AI’s risks to outweigh its rewards.

The findings come as pro-crypto and pro-AI super PACs have increased political spending. Fairshake, a pro-crypto super PAC primarily funded by Coinbase, Andreessen Horowitz and Ripple Labs, has spent about $28 million on competitive 2026 primary races. A pro-AI group called Leading the Future has raised more than $75 million since launching last August. Both types of PACs are supporting candidates across party lines and competing with long-established party committees for influence.

The poll also asked about special interest groups more broadly. Forty-one percent of respondents said special interest groups exert too much political sway, 23% described their role as balanced, and 12% said they carry too little influence.

In hypothetical candidate matchups, voters were less likely to back candidates supported by groups that favor looser AI rules. The survey showed stronger support for candidates backed by groups advocating tighter technology regulation or climate policy.

The survey data describe public attitudes and the scale of industry spending but do not measure the effect of those attitudes on actual voting outcomes. The poll indicates potential electoral considerations for candidates who accept significant funding from crypto- and AI-aligned PACs.