This is a small chart of responses to this survey question. As you can see, some are on the fence about whether AI will be a threat to us.
Photo by Brenson Greene
By Brenson Greene
Nothing is certain except taxes and… death by Artificial Intelligence? Over the past few months, there has been major pushback on AI use, with some complaining about data centers or choosing to avoid AI altogether. But is AI the largest threat to humankind and our lives?
Many sources have discussed the debate over AI use and whether it will affect us, humans. Some believe we will all be fine; others believe AI will be our downfall.
Even in government, many politicians on both sides have their own views on how AI is affecting the American people. Both sides have opinions on how AI should be used.
Young adults also have their own opinions on AI use, and it’s still a huge debate among them. Mayken Lynette, a freshman business major at Peace, explained her thinking on the future of AI.
“AI will become a major part of mainstream technology,” Lynette said. “But I don’t think it will completely replace all of it. AI is already being built into phones, computers, cars, social media, etc. As AI continues to improve, it will probably become something people use every day without even thinking about it.”
Whether AI becoming part of mainstream technology is a fear depends on who you ask. But how should it be used? How can people use AI to make sure it’s used for reasonable purposes? Alicia Richardson, a student at Wake Tech Community College, shares her thoughts.
“I believe the only way AI should be used is for spellcheck and identifying scams,” Richardson said. AI can also be used for personal use, such as planning a trip itinerary and studying.”
School systems can be hit by this explosion as AI becomes mainstream. But this creates a question: How will AI affect students in the classrooms and in their learning? Alan Smith, a writer of an article talking about AI being used in schools, shares their thoughts.
“A growing share of U.S. adults believe schools that shun the technology will better help students grow than schools that embrace it,” Smith writes. “56% of respondents said they believe a school that prohibits using AI will better help prepare students for the future, up 9 points since the June 2025 survey.”
With AI growing everywhere, you have to wonder where it comes from. AI data centers are located across the country, some near neighborhoods. This has also become a major concern for environmental advocates. Isabella McCann, an Education major at Western Carolina University, shared her thoughts.
“Kill us directly, no,” Said McCann. “Kill us because of the amount of water we are using and its environmental damage, yes.”
Complaints across the nation have focused on these big data centers taking up space and harming the surrounding environment. People have also complained about the annoying noise from these centers, which affects some people’s livelihoods.
On the other hand, some believe AI is useful and should be used, but others feel differently. Take, for example, Rashad Caldwell, a senior at Middle Creek High School. When asked about his use of AI and how it should be used, he said this:
“Yes, for everything.” Caldwell said, “AI is a great tool that benefits the user any way the user sees fit.”
Not everyone is on the “Anti AI team.” Some people truly believe AI helps them personally, whether for schoolwork, cooking, creating work plans, etc. Justice Privette, a student at Wake Tech Community College earning his welding certificate, said he uses AI this way.
“I mainly use AI for research,” Privette said. “ But I do believe that AI should be used to improve life for humanity and help us learn/grow.”
AI has been seen as both a benefit and a detriment to society. Some say it’s a valuable resource, while others say we are taking a huge step back. Others fall somewhere in the middle. We can only hope and see what more AI will do to this world and us humans.
“I think AI can be wildly helpful in assisting with banal office tasks.” Said Charles Hunnicut, a student at Peace, “ but I think it should stay far away from any creative realm.