America This Week Wave 263

Half of CEOs Doubt Their AI Strategy, Tariffapalooza, C+ Healthcare, and How Do You Sleep at Night?

The latest trends in society and culture from The Harris Poll

With the markets jittering and tariffs moving into Europe this morning, our new poll with Bloomberg finds Americans worried about their living costs and livelihoods. They define a strong economy as “being able to afford monthly expenses comfortably” (40%), followed by working wages that keep pace with inflation, U.S. production, and growth. As we’ve told you here, macroeconomics don’t matter, but “me-economics” do.

We have four new stories this week:

1. In a remarkably candid survey, CEOs admit they’re behind in implementing their AI strategy. Nevertheless, much of their industry’s AI proclamations are “whitewashed.” (with Dataiku)
2. Tariffs are everywhere, and whether you like them depends on your party affiliation, as shown in a Guardian-Harris poll in The Wall Street Journal.
3. America’s chronic patients give a thumbs down to the HC system in a State of Patient Access Report with The Pan Foundation.
4. Americans are increasingly sleep-deprived, but new bedtime hacks exist in a Harris-Mattress Firm survey.

CEOs And Their AI Confessions: Dataiku-Harris Poll

From falling behind to losing their jobs, CEOs come clean on their worries about AI in a remarkably candid new Harris Poll with Dataiku.

• A two-year horizon at best: Three-quarters (74%) of global CEOs told us they risk losing their jobs if they fail to deliver measurable AI-driven business gains within twenty-four months. And (70%) predict at least one of their peers will be ousted due to a failed AI strategy or AI-induced crisis this year.
• Most admit to falling behind: More than half (54%) CEOs say competitors have deployed a better AI strategy than their company.
• Many also criticize “AI-washing”: Over a third (35%) say many AI initiatives are designed more for optics than real business impact.

Takeaway: “For CEOs today, every AI decision feels like a high-stakes gamble that can drive competitive dominance or lead to costly consequences,” explained Florian Douetteau, co-founder and CEO of Dataiku. “The only way to turn AI into an enduring advantage is to assert greater control and governance – future-proofing not just the companies these CEOs run, but their roles as leaders in an increasingly AI-powered economy.”

Party Breaks Over Tariffs: The Guardian-Harris Poll

While President Trump has called tariffs “the most beautiful word in the dictionary,” their support depends on party lines, as we find with The Guardian.

• Overall, half (49%) of Americans feel tariffs will negatively impact the U.S. economy rather than positively (26%), but where the party lines get drawn, it gets interesting…
• While Democrats (63%) and Independents (54%) are more likely to think tariffs will harm the economy, only a quarter of Republicans (28%) also believe they will.
• The worry isn’t new as with Bloomberg, as featured in WSJ, Democrats expected tariffs to lead to higher prices more so than Independents (55%) and Republicans (45%).
• Around half of Democrats (52%) and Independents (45%) believe the tariffs will negatively impact their finances, along with (33%) of Republicans.
• Many consumers are unaware of how they work: Four in ten (40%) wrongly believe that foreign countries exporting the goods are the ones who pay tariffs (GOP: 48% v. IND: 39%, DEM: 32%).

Takeaway: “Trump promised to be the change candidate in his second term, criticizing Biden and Kamala Harris for high prices and promising to bring strength back to the US economy. But so far, Republicans have mostly felt any positive sentiment. Democrats and even independents appear skeptical,” writes The Guardian’s Lauren Aratani. “The president has said Americans could feel “some pain” due to the tariffs, but promised that the impact on the US economy will make it all worth it.” Yet, according to our research, few Americans may be agreeing.

State of Patient Access: PAN Foundation-Harris Poll

Healthcare, in terms of access and affordability, is not getting better; in some cases, it is getting worse. This is especially true of the 2,700 patients with chronic conditions we surveyed, in our latest State of Patient Access Report with The PAN Foundation.

• According to the CDC, around six in ten Americans have at least one chronic disease, and of those in our survey, over half (54%) reported having more than one chronic condition.
• Among those with chronic conditions, access and affordability are poorly scored:

• The negative impact of biases: (38%) report feeling that some aspect of their identity negatively impacts their ability to get the best possible healthcare. Income, insurance status, and age were most frequently mentioned, along with race, gender, and sexual orientation.
• Waiting, waiting, and waiting: Three out of 10 patients reported that getting an accurate diagnosis for their condition was difficult. The average time to get a precise diagnosis was three years.

• It’s a headache to get prescriptions: Almost half (48%) of insured patients faced health insurance-related barriers to accessing their medications.
• Further, a fifth (21%) couldn’t get their prescription because of cost.

Takeaway: Accessing healthcare in the United States continues to be a pain point for millions of people. Rising medical and prescription costs and insurance policies place significant financial burdens on patients, even with insurance coverage. Alongside financial burdens, healthcare provider shortages and limited healthcare provider networks make it increasingly challenging to access routine and specialty care.

America’s Restless Nights: Mattress Firm-Harris Poll

Welcome to Sleep Week, which includes the end of daylight saving time (March 9), National Napping Day (March 10) and World Sleep Day (March 14). Fitting timing then to release our Sleep Index Survey with Mattress Firm.

Other sleep stats:

• Over half (53%) of Americans rate their sleep quality as fair or poor.
• Women were more prone to sleep quality issues, with (55%) rating their sleep as “fair” or “poor,” compared to (50%) of men.
• A third (35%) believe dreams have deep meanings, yet (38%) rarely remember them.
• More than four in ten (44%) love the more extended daylight and quickly adjusted to last Sunday’s end of daylight savings time, but nearly as many (40%) say it’s outdated, frustrating, and needs to end.

Takeaway: “Getting enough sleep is essential, but quantity alone isn’t the full picture. True rest comes from the right amount of sleep and good sleep quality, which are unique to each person. Prioritizing a consistent sleep schedule and a comfortable sleep environment, including your mattress, can make all the difference in how refreshed you feel each day,” said Dr. Jade Wu, board-certified sleep psychologist and Mattress Firm sleep advisor. “Whether it’s spring break travel or the shift from daylight saving time – occasional disruptions happen, and that’s okay. What matters is returning to healthy sleep habits and prioritizing rest as you settle back into your routine.”