Instead of Listening to Americans, Ted Cruz and Big Tech Want to Move Fast and Break People
Washington, D.C. — On Monday, Demand Progress released a poll showing that an overwhelming majority of voters want accountability and government oversight for AI companies. According to the poll, 79 percent of voters want AI companies to prove their systems are safe before releasing anything to the public. Also, 57 percent want AI companies to have more government oversight, even if it means slower AI progress. Additionally, the Institute for Family Studies found that a whopping 90 percent of Americans want Congress to prioritize child safety over the growth of the tech industry. A recent Pew poll also found that 61 percent of Americans want more control over the way AI is used in their lives. Further, Gallup found that 80 percent of Americans want the government to prioritize the safety of AI, even if it means slowing down the development of the technology.
- Read the Demand Progress Poll
- Read the Institute for Family Studies Poll
- Read the Pew Poll
- Read the Gallup Poll
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) recently introduced a measure allowing AI companies to bypass and even potentially gut federal safety rules. Demand Progress led a campaign opposing Sen. Cruz’s previous AI moratorium that would have blocked enforcement of all state and local AI laws for a decade.
Demand Progress’s online poll of 1,700 registered voters was conducted nationwide by Bullfinch Group from Sept. 6-11, 2025. In addition to showing majority support for AI regulations and accountability, the poll also found that voters were concerned about the safety and costs of AI. The poll found that 66 percent of voters believe that in the next few years, AI could be used in dangerous ways, such as developing biological, chemical, radioactive or nuclear weapons or to blackmail people. Additionally, 62 percent of voters believe people who are harmed by false, misleading or illegal recommendations from AI should be able to hold AI companies liable for damages.
The following is a statement from Demand Progress Policy Director Emily Peterson-Cassin:
“Americans clearly want accountability and government oversight of AI but Big Tech and their lackeys in Congress are instead adopting a move fast and break people approach. Why the rush? Because they know what they’re doing is unsafe and unpopular. It’s wildly dangerous to gut federal safety rules and the entire rulemaking system for companies that let AI flirt with minors and encourage teens to commit suicide. But impunity to do just that is what AI companies are asking for and that’s what Ted Cruz is trying to deliver.”