Meaning Hinges on Human Control

Public feelings about whether AI will make life less meaningful track beliefs about who governs and shapes AI decisions. If citizens perceive control as retained by humans and institutions, they report optimism and sense-making; if control is seen as ceded to opaque systems or firms, people report loss of meaning and increased anxiety. — Framing AI debates around 'who controls meaning' shifts policy focus toward visible governance, democratic oversight, and cultural practices that preserve human agency.