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Updated on Dec 13, 2023
Updates monthly

Tracking Trends in the Technology Industry

Chipmakers face increased public scrutiny

Americans’ perceptions of the technology industry, our nation’s engine of innovation, are rapidly changing. Consumers are becoming more skeptical of its goals and impact on society, and many are calling for greater transparency and stronger government regulation. This tracker keeps a pulse not only on the challenges facing tech industry leaders, but also on the opportunities and enthusiasm for forward-looking technologies.

Morning Consult is tracking consumer trends in the technology industry through a monthly survey of U.S. adults.

Find a more detailed methodology for this monthly tracker below.

Key Takeaways

  • Favorability toward chipmakers is down from last year. Microchip manufacturers, once typically operating in the background and not often in public view, are now playing a central role in the geopolitical fight between the United States and China for tech and AI dominance. As the U.S. government seeks to control China’s access to the most advanced chips capable of training AI models, chipmakers like Nvidia, AMD and others are forced to walk a tightrope between maximizing their market share (selling more to China) and not actively fighting against U.S. security interests. The spotlight on the industry may be making it more difficult for these companies to manage their reputations, as less than half of consumers (44%) have a favorable impression of chipmakers, down 6 percentage points from a year ago. 

  • Most consumers support net neutrality as the Federal Communications Commission revisits its rules. The majority of U.S. adults (62%) agree that internet service providers should treat all internet traffic the same, in line with the FCC’s recent 3-2 vote to restore net neutrality protections that were repealed during the previous administration. More than a decade since Comcast’s and Verizon’s battles with the FCC over net neutrality rules, this new chapter will once again pit ISPs that seek to limit regulation of their businesses versus large, high-traffic platforms like social media and streaming services that could be charged for the bandwidth they use.

  • Most consumers remain confident in the future of tech. Despite a shaky year marked by layoffs, declining venture capital investment and landmark antitrust action, major tech companies continued to grow, while generative AI’s arrival on the scene invigorated confidence in the sector’s ability to innovate. More than half of consumers (54%) said tech’s best days are ahead, and there’s much to look forward to — from autonomous transportation to immersive technologies.

Are Tech’s Best Days Ahead or Behind?

Share of U.S. adults indicating whether they think technology companies’ best days are ahead or behind
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Interest in New Technologies

Share of U.S. adults interested in using each of the following technologies in the next five years:
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Tech Industry Favorability

Share of U.S. adults with a favorable impression of each of the following:
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How People Rate Big Tech

Respondents were asked whether they agree major technology companies do the following:
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Big Tech’s Perceived Impact on Society

Major technology companies’ perceived net impact* on the following:
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*Net impact represents the share who said Big Tech has a positive impact minus the share who said it has a negative impact.

Support for Breaking Up Big Tech

Shares indicating they would support major technology companies being broken up into smaller ones
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Top Considerations Among Job Seekers in Tech

Share who selected each of the following as an important consideration when looking for a new job in the technology industry:
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Note: This chart updates quarterly. Last update: October 2023. "None of these" and "Other" responses not shown.

Source of This Data

Methodology

The Technology Industry Monthly Trend Tracker relies on Morning Consult’s proprietary survey research capabilities. Interviews are conducted online, and the data are weighted to approximate a representative sample of U.S. adults based on gender, educational attainment, age, race and region. Results from the full survey have a monthly sample size of roughly 2,200 U.S. adults and an unweighted margin of error of  +/-2 percentage points.

About Morning Consult

Morning Consult is a global decision intelligence company changing how modern leaders make smarter, faster, better decisions. The company pairs its proprietary high-frequency data with applied artificial intelligence to better inform decisions on what people think and how they will act. Learn more at morningconsult.com

Jordan Marlatt
Lead Tech Analyst

Jordan Marlatt previously worked at Morning Consult as a lead tech analyst.