Why Only 23% of Americans Support AI in 2026

Only 23% of Americans have a positive view of AI in 2026, about the same approval rating as ICE. Jason Padgett and Julie Koehrer dig into why the gap between foundation-model leaders and the public is widening, and why Jason argues the fix isn't UBI, it's equity.Key topics covered:- The April 6 shooting of Indiana Councilman Ron Gibson's house (13 rounds, "No Data Centers" note) and the Molotov cocktail at Sam Altman's home on April 10- Why Sam Altman's "philosopher kings" narrative and Dario Amodei's 50% white-collar job loss warnings are making the backlash worse- How Demis Hassabis and AlphaFold prove drug discovery was the smarter first move for AI- Maine's data center moratorium vs. New Hampshire's "compute free or die" constitutional proposal- Why Trump's $1,000 newborn S&P 500 account is a model for AI profit-sharing- The buy-in vs. UBI argument: Americans want equity in the systems they help train- The Enhanced Games in Vegas on Memorial Day, Pascal's Wager applied to longevity, and whether you'd upload your consciousness- Brain-computer interfaces, space colonization, and the solar punk movementBottom line: AI's PR problem isn't about the technology. It's about who owns the upside.About Julie Koehrer: On-Air Personality at Lafayette Q106.7 | 15+ years in radio and broadcast | Lafayette, Indiana | https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliekoehrer/Work with Jason → [email protected]🌐 https://www.phoenixsolutionsgroup.org/Newsletter → https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7399599285849346048AGI Podcast shows:School's Out Saturdays: AI in education, K-12 through universityWeekly Blitz: AI news every Monday, 30-45 minutesThe Vibe: Deep conversations, no time limitAll platforms: https://linktr.ee/AGIPodcastFollow: Facebook + LinkedIn @AGIPodcast | Instagram @AGISchoolsout | X @NoCodeCAIOTools Jason recommends:MindStudio → https://get.mindstudio.ai/q7n7u5cttkdqRiverside.fm → https://riverside.sjv.io/e1xyBrWispr Flow → https://ref.wisprflow.ai/jason-padgett