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# 58% across 21 countries rank advancing science and medicine with AI above protecting industries by regulation
- URL: https://aiadoption.org/data/ai-innovation-vs-regulation-priorities-by-country/
- Published: 2026-10-19T16:56:16.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-21T06:03:46.000Z
- Description: On average across 21 countries, 58% say advancing science and medicine through AI matters more than protecting industries through regulation (41%). Only India, South Africa and Ireland lean towards regulation.
- Author: Manu
- Tags: Data, Public Opinion on AI, #chart, #ai-index-2026, #hub-opinion

58%

Share prioritising AI advances in science, medicine and other fields over protecting industries through regulation (41%), average of 21 countries

Global average

Advance science and medicine58%

Protect industries by regulation41%

## What the chart shows

An Ipsos survey for Google asked adults in 21 countries to choose between fostering AI advances in science, medicine and other fields and protecting industries that may be affected by AI through regulation. On average 58% chose innovation and 41% regulation; Nigeria (71%), South Korea (70%) and Argentina (68%) lean most towards innovation.

Only three countries lean the other way: India (54% regulation vs 46% innovation), South Africa (53% vs 47%) and Ireland (52% vs 48%). In the United States, 53% favour innovation and 44% regulation.

## Key numbers

| Measure                    | Value |
| -------------------------- | ----- |
| Global average, innovation | 58%   |
| Global average, regulation | 41%   |
| Nigeria, innovation        | 71%   |
| India, regulation          | 54%   |
| United States, innovation  | 53%   |
| United States, regulation  | 44%   |

## How to read it

- Survey by Ipsos for Google, published 2026; the AI Index dates the chart 2025\. Ipsos rounds to whole percentages, so pairs may not add to exactly 100%.
- ‘Global average’ is the survey’s average across the 21 countries.

**Source:** [Ipsos and Google](https://aiadoption.org/sources/#ipsos-google-ai-survey), 2026, via the AI Index Report 2026 (Stanford HAI), figure 9.3.3: *Global priorities: AI innovation vs. AI regulation, 2025*. Chart and text by AI Adoption.  
Numbers checked against the published data on 20 October 2026.  
[Download the data (CSV)](https://charts.aiadoption.org/ai-index/csv/ai-innovation-vs-regulation-priorities-by-country.csv?ref=aiadoption.org) · [Cite this chart](#source)