The Moralization of Artificial Intelligence

Opposition to artificial intelligence (AI) is widespread, but is it driven by deliberate reasoning or intuitive moral reactions? Across three studies, we examined how AI is moralized in public discourse, whether opposition generalizes across applications, and which individual differences predict resistance. In Study 1, we analyzed COCA news headlines from 2018–2024 and found that AI is moralized at levels comparable to GMOs and vaccines—two technologies whose moral dimensions have received substantial empirical attention. We also find that moralization of AI in the headlines increased sharply after January 2022 until December 2022. In Studies 2 and 3, we surveyed representative samples of Americans on their attitudes toward four AI applications. Most participants did not oppose AI; however, among those who did oppose AI-generated art, AI companionship, and legal AI, most indicated their views would remain unchanged even if AI proved beneficial—suggesting resistance stems from moral rather than pragmatic concerns. Structural equation modeling revealed that attitudes toward AI were best explained by a single latent factor, supporting the idea that AI moralization is domain-general rather than application-specific. Qualitative analyses uncovered the most common arguments people invoke to justify their stance and revealed how opponents and supporters differ in their reasoning. Together, these findings suggest that AI aversion is primarily moral in nature, implying that shifting public attitudes may require addressing moral concerns rather than relying solely on pragmatic arguments.