Poll: Majority rejects AI fraud detection if eligible people lose out

(The Center Square) – A majority of voters oppose using artificial intelligence to hunt fraud in government programs if it also risks wrongly flagging or denying benefits to people who qualify for them, a new The Center Square poll found.

The Center Square Voters’ Voice Poll found 53% of registered voters oppose using AI to detect fraud in government programs if it risked wrongly denying eligible people, against 37% who support it and 10% who weren’t sure. Federal agencies estimated $186 billion in improper payments in fiscal 2025, according to the Government Accountability Office, which has separately estimated the government loses $233 billion to $521 billion a year to fraud.