A growing number of Americans are expressing skepticism or outright distrust toward artificial intelligence (AI), even before the latest wave of news about its capabilities and risks. Concerns range from big-picture issues like job displacement and environmental impact to more immediate annoyances, such as the forced use of AI-powered tools that seem to make everyday tasks more complicated. According to a 2026 study by the Pew Research Center, a majority of Americans believe AI will pose risks to personal privacy and negatively affect society, while more than twice as many distrust AI as trust it. The pushback is partly due to the way AI is being introduced into people’s lives. Many users feel they have little choice in the matter, as AI features are now embedded in everything from search engines to social media apps. “It's being forced on users, there's no clear way to turn it off, and it feels like this unwelcome addition to their lives,” said Rory Mir of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital rights group. This sense of being ignored or disrespected by tech companies has fueled the resistance. For those who want to minimize their exposure to AI, there are steps they can take. Simple actions, like adding “-ai” to Google searches to avoid AI-generated summaries, or turning off features like Siri or Apple Intelligence, can help reduce AI’s presence in daily life. However, avoiding AI completely is difficult, as it is now deeply integrated into most digital platforms. Social media, for example, uses AI algorithms to recommend content, and many platforms lack a straightforward way to opt out of these features. Generative AI, which includes tools like ChatGPT and the AI Overviews on Google, is trained on vast amounts of data scraped from the internet, including books, articles, and videos. This data is used to make AI models more accurate, but it raises ethical questions about privacy and consent. Some companies, like Meta, have faced backlash for using user data without clear consent. Meanwhile, recommendation systems on platforms like Netflix or Spotify are also powered by AI, shaping what people watch and listen to, often in ways that are hard to recognize. While it’s nearly impossible to avoid AI in today’s digital world, users can still take control where they can. Choosing privacy-focused tools, adjusting settings on devices and apps, and being mindful of what data is shared online can all help reduce exposure. “You look for the spaces of agency rather than lamenting the fact that you can't escape everything,” said Dylan Orchard, a researcher studying AI resistance. Even small steps can help people reclaim a sense of control over their digital lives.