The majority of the Swiss public supports scientific research and condemns attacks on science, according to the 2025 Science Barometer survey conducted by the University of Zurich. Most people in Switzerland use artificial intelligence, but many approach it with caution.

The Swiss public continues to be overwhelmingly supportive of science and scientific research, according to the results of the 2025 Science Barometer Switzerland survey conducted by the University of Zurich. The researchers behind the survey triennially examine the Swiss public’s attitudes toward science and scientific research and investigates where people in Switzerland inform themselves about the subject.

Many of the more than 1,500 survey respondents consider scientific research necessary, endorse government funding of it and believe that public policy decisions should be based on scientific knowledge. A stable, high 60% of them state that they have a strong or ironclad faith in science, though the percentage of skeptics has recently edged upward.

Predominantly favorable image of science

“Our findings show that Switzerland stands on a robust foundation as an innovation and knowledge society: the majority of the Swiss public is staunchly supportive of scientific research,” says project co-head Mike S. Schäfer, who is a professor in the Department of Communication and Media Research at the University of Zurich. This is also evidenced by yet another finding, he adds: “Whereas the survey respondents consider objective criticism of science and its methods and funders to be legitimate, they resoundingly oppose personal attacks such as verbal abuse, threats or violence against scientific researchers – that’s an important signal for public discourse.”

However, beyond those commonalities, groups of people definitely exhibit differences. A conjoint analysis of science-related knowledge, interest, attitudes and trust reveals the existence of four groups in Switzerland that view science and scientific research differently. “Sciencephiles” have a very high level of trust in science while the “critically interested” have a liking for scientific research, but see clear boundaries for science. Both of those groups together make up around one-third of the Swiss public. Around 48% of residents in Switzerland take a more remote interest in science as “passive supporters.” The “disengaged” make up around 17% of the Swiss public.

TV a key source of information, AI tools popular among younger people

Television remains the lay public’s main source of information on science topics, followed by newspapers and magazines. Movies and television series are gaining importance in this area, and Wikipedia and government agency websites continue to matter as science information sources. Video platforms and AI tools are particularly used by younger people, who favor them ahead of radio shows, podcasts and messenger services. Alongside media, personal interaction also comes into play: many people talk about science topics with their circle of friends and acquaintances or visit zoos, museums and exhibitions.

“We see clear traces of the media transition here,” says project co-head Julia Metag, who is a professor at the University of Münster. “Traditional channels remain relevant, but audiovisual formats and digital resources – including AI tools – are particularly exerting a formative influence on younger people, affecting how they come in contact with science.”

A vote for digital sovereignty and Switzerland’s own AI models

The majority of the people in Switzerland use artificial intelligence, and around a quarter of the Swiss public even does so frequently, albeit with caution: almost half of the survey respondents do not or tend not to consider AI a reliable source of information on scientific subjects, or conversely, only few have a lot of trust in that information. Moreover, 71% say that they want Switzerland to develop its own AI models in order to become less dependent on the USA and China.

“People desire Swiss AI infrastructures and at the same time remain wary about using AI as an information resource,” says project co-head Niels G. Mede, an assistant professor at Wageningen University. “This combination of faith in Swiss innovative prowess and healthy skepticism toward current AI tools is an important starting point for a responsible AI strategy in science and society.”


About the project

Since 2016, the Science Barometer Switzerland project conducted by the University of Zurich triennially examines the Swiss public’s attitudes toward science and scientific research and investigates where the Swiss inform themselves about the subject. This year, the project has been co-headed by Prof. Dr. Mike S. Schäfer (University of Zurich), Prof. Dr. Julia Metag (University of Münster) and Prof. Dr. Niels G. Mede (Wageningen University). It is funded by the University of Zurich, the Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences, the ETH Board, the Swiss National Science Foundation and the Gebert Rüf Foundation.

Methodology

The 2025 Science Barometer is based on a written representative population sample survey (consisting of online and hard-copy questionnaires).

The population sample was drawn with assistance from the Swiss Federal Statistical Office from census data on the language-assimilated resident population aged 16 and over. A total of 1,548 people (990 from German-speaking Switzerland, 317 from French-speaking Switzerland and 241 from Italian-speaking Switzerland) were surveyed over a period from June 13 to July 10, 2025. For the modules “criticism of and attacks against scientific researchers” and “artificial intelligence,” the population sample was divided in half randomly and surveyed using the split ballot technique. The population sample was weighted by gender, age, language region, canton, settlement type and education level.