Voters skeptical as crypto, AI PACs spend millions

A national survey of 2,035 U.S. adults conducted April 11–14 found 45% of respondents say investing in cryptocurrency is not worth the risk and 44% say artificial intelligence is developing too quickly.

The poll showed nearly half of respondents trust traditional banks more than crypto platforms. About two-thirds of those surveyed want lawmakers to impose strict regulations or broad oversight on AI. Close to half said they expect AI to eliminate more jobs than it creates, and 43% described AI’s risks as outweighing its rewards.

The findings come as political action committees aligned with the tech sectors have increased spending for competitive 2026 primary races. Fairshake, a pro-crypto super PAC funded by Coinbase, Andreessen Horowitz and Ripple Labs, has spent about $28 million on primaries. Leading the Future, a pro-AI PAC, has raised more than $75 million since launching in August 2025. Both groups have supported candidates from both parties and, in some contests, are spending at levels similar to established party organizations.

In hypothetical matchups presented to respondents, candidates backed by groups pushing looser AI regulations were less likely to receive support than candidates backed by groups calling for tighter technology rules. The poll also found stronger voter support for groups that advocate climate policy than for groups that promote looser tech oversight.

On the political influence of special interest groups, 41% of respondents said such groups wield excessive political weight, 23% described their role as balanced and 12% said they carry too little sway.

The survey’s overall margin of error for the full sample is ±2.2 percentage points; smaller subgroups have larger margins.