Who Uses Artificial Intelligence and Who Resists? Evidence From the Household Pulse Survey

This paper uses new data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey to examine demographic determinants of artificial intelligence adoption and uses, fear of AI’s career consequences, and active resistance to AI use. Regression analysis on a sample of 7,209 adults finds that AI use rises strongly with education and income and declines with age. In contrast, among those who have adopted AI, the breadth of use is driven primarily by education and age, with income playing little role beyond the adoption decision. Among users, concern about AI’s impact on careers is concentrated among more educated and teleworking individuals, with income providing little explanatory power for career concern. Among non-users, sex and race are the dominant predictors of deliberate abstention. These findings have direct implications for AI literacy programs, workforce policy, and the design of consumer AI regulations.