Polls show – majority of global citizens nervous about the future of AI
McClure ’24 – (Paul McClure, Bachelor of Nursing, Graduate Diplomas in Advanced Nursing and Psychological Studies, a Master of Laws (Juris Doctor), and a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and creative writing, previously worked as an intensive care nurse at one of Australia’s busiest hospital and a criminal defense lawyer, “The bad and ugly: AI is harmful, unreliable, and running out of data”, 4/22/24, New Atlas, https://newatlas.com/technology/ai-index-report-negatives/)
Public opinion has shifted: Half of us are nervous about AI's impact
According to surveys conducted by Ipsos, while 52% of the global public expressed nervousness about products and services that used AI, up from 39% in 2022, Australians were the most nervous, followed by Brits, Canadians, and Americans.
Globally, 57% of people expect AI to change how they do their jobs in the next five years, with more than a third (36%) expecting AI to replace them in the same time frame. Understandably, older generations are less concerned that AI will have a substantial effect than younger ones: 46% of boomers versus 66% of Gen Z.
Global Public Opinion on Artificial Intelligence (GPO-AI) data presented in the AI Impact report showed that 49% of global citizens were most concerned that, over the next few years, AI would be misused or used for nefarious purposes; 45% were concerned it would be used to violate an individual’s privacy. People were less concerned about unequal access to AI (26%) and its potential for bias and discrimination (24%).
Concerning the US specifically, data from the Pew Research Center showed that a far greater number of Americans were more concerned than excited about AI tech. The figures jumped from 37% in 2021 to 52% in 2023.