China Leads Global AI Optimism With 90% Positive Sentiment, Gallup Survey Finds

A new Gallup-Microsoft survey reveals a striking divide in global attitudes toward artificial intelligence, with China demonstrating exceptional optimism that contrasts sharply with skepticism in Western nations. Among AI-aware adults in China, 90% report positive emotions toward AI technology, the highest rate globally, while 93% expect AI to mostly help their country—a figure that towers over the United States' 36%, which ranks near the bottom of the 37 countries surveyed to date. The survey, conducted between April and July 2026, interviewed approximately 1,000 nationally representative respondents per country, measuring AI engagement across five dimensions: awareness, frequency of use, expected impact, trust, and emotional response.