What Americans Really Think About Sharing Data with AI – And What It Means for You

AI tools are embedded in more of our daily routines—drafting emails, generating images, summarizing meetings. Each interaction often involves handing over personal data, from rough text you typed to photos you uploaded. A new survey from Digital Information World, conducted in June 2026, offers a snapshot of how Americans feel about this trade-off. The findings are worth examining, not just as a curiosity, but because they signal what consumers can expect from companies and regulators in the near future.

What the survey found

The survey asked a representative sample of American adults about their comfort level with sharing personal data with AI systems. The headline figure: roughly 38% said they were comfortable sharing some of their data with AI tools. That leaves a majority—62%—either uncomfortable or unsure.

Breaking it down further, age and tech familiarity played a clear role. Younger adults, especially those aged 18–34, were more likely to express comfort, with about half reporting that they share data freely with AI assistants, chatbots, and generative tools. Among those aged 55 and older, comfort levels dropped below 30%. Income and education also correlated: people with higher household incomes and college degrees were more willing to share data, possibly because they feel they understand the risks or see tangible benefits.

The top concerns cited were lack of transparency about how data is used, fear of leaks or breaches, and unease about companies training AI models on personal content without explicit consent. About 40% of all respondents said they had stopped using an AI tool at least once after reading its privacy policy or hearing about a potential data incident.

These figures align with broader long-term trends. A 2023 Pew Research Center report found that 67% of Americans felt they have little control over how their personal information is collected and used by companies. The new survey suggests that sentiment is carrying over to AI specifically—perhaps with even sharper concern, given AI’s ability to generate content that could be mistaken for real.

Why this matters for you

Public opinion doesn’t just sit in a spreadsheet. It influences business decisions and regulation. When a majority of consumers express discomfort, companies face pressure to change their practices—or at least to communicate them more clearly. Already, some major AI platforms have introduced opt-out settings for training data, or promised not to use certain types of sensitive data. But these changes are often buried in menus or legalese.

The survey also suggests that the privacy default for AI tools may shift over time. If enough consumers demand privacy-respecting features—such as local processing (running AI on your device without sending data to a server) or anonymized data handling—companies will likely respond. In the meantime, your own awareness is the most reliable safeguard.

What you can do now

You don’t need to stop using AI tools to protect your privacy. A few straightforward habits can significantly reduce your exposure:

  • Review what you paste or upload. Before you feed a document, a photo, or a detailed prompt into an AI tool, ask yourself: does this contain anything I wouldn’t want shared publicly or stored indefinitely? Treat AI prompts like semi-public messages.

  • Check and adjust data settings. Every major AI platform (ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, etc.) has a privacy or data control page. Look for options to turn off chat history training, delete previous interactions, or limit data retention. Make this part of your initial setup.

  • Use separate accounts or tools for sensitive tasks. Consider keeping a general AI account for everyday work and a privacy-focused tool (such as one that processes locally or offers an explicit no-training policy) for anything involving personal information.

  • Read the privacy policy—at least the summary. Many services now offer a simplified “privacy notice” or “data use overview.” Spend five minutes reading it before you commit to regular use.

  • Opt out where possible. Some AI companies let you request that your data not be used for training. Exercise that option, even if it’s a few extra clicks. It sends a signal.

  • Stay informed about updates. Data practices change. A policy you accepted last year may have been updated. Set a reminder to reevaluate your tools every six months.

None of this requires technical expertise. It mainly requires paying attention to the fine print—and resisting the urge to just click “accept” out of convenience.

Sources

  • Digital Information World, “How Americans Feel About Sharing Their Data With AI,” June 2026.
  • Pew Research Center, “Key Findings About Americans and Data Privacy,” October 2023.