New poll shows strong public demand for Switzerland to lead global action on AI risks at Geneva Summit

New nationally representative survey reveals decisive support for Swiss leadership and concrete international action on AI risks

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND, October 6, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- According to a new nationally representative survey commissioned by the AI Summit Alliance and conducted by Early Studies with Swiss research and polling institute gfs.bern, the Swiss public overwhelmingly wants Switzerland to take a leading international role on AI governance and use the 2027 AI Summit in Geneva to secure concrete action on the risks posed by the most powerful AI systems.

Over three-quarters of respondents (77%) support Switzerland taking a global leadership role in advocating common safeguards for advanced AI, while 94% say securing binding international rules for the most powerful AI systems should be a priority for Switzerland internationally.

Respondents also believe the stakes for Switzerland itself are high. More than nine in ten (91%) say international agreements resulting from the Geneva Summit that reduce serious AI risks would improve Switzerland’s international reputation, while 73% say a summit that ends without concrete agreements would damage it.

"This survey sends a clear message: the Swiss public wants their country to lead, and they want the Geneva Summit to deliver," said Chris Koddermann, Co-Founder of the AI Summit Alliance. "Switzerland’s convening power, international credibility, and long-standing role as a trusted venue for international diplomacy leave it uniquely well positioned to bring countries together around concrete measures to address the most serious AI risks."

Strong support for action on advanced AI risks does not reflect scepticism about AI or opposition to innovation. Respondents are broadly optimistic about AI’s potential benefits and want Switzerland to remain at the forefront of innovation. But when asked to choose between innovation and safety, 84% prioritise making AI safer over accelerating innovation. Even when that choice carries a potential economic cost, 65% still prioritise addressing AI risks, even if doing so means losing out on some economic opportunities.

The polling also reveals a striking gap between the public’s ambitions for Switzerland’s international role and its confidence in the country’s ability to exercise influence. While 77% support Switzerland taking global leadership in advocating common international safeguards on AI, only 15% believe Switzerland is already having, or is likely to have, a real say in how AI is governed internationally. The findings point to strong public support for Swiss leadership, alongside limited confidence that Switzerland currently has, or will soon have, meaningful influence internationally.

Survey Methodology

The Swiss National AI Poll was commissioned by the AI Summit Alliance and conducted by Early Studies with gfs.bern. Fieldwork was carried out from 2 to 9 September 2026, with 1000 adults surveyed across German-, French-, and Italian-speaking Switzerland. Quotas were used to ensure national representativeness across language region, age, and gender. Results are reported unweighted.

For full survey results, please visits: www.summitalliance.ai/survey.html

About the AI Summit Alliance

The AI Summit Alliance is an independent initiative focused on helping the June 2027 Geneva AI Summit deliver meaningful and practical outcomes on AI safety, security, and governance. It works with policymakers, experts, civil society, and other stakeholders in Switzerland and internationally to build support for concrete and achievable international measures addressing the most serious risks from advanced AI.

Chris Koddermann
AI Summit Alliance
+41 79 434 25 78
chris.koddermann@summitalliance.ai