New research and data show concerns about the rapid rise of AI, highlighting anxieties about ethics, jobs, and societal impact.
New research from the Pew Research Center highlights that while tech companies aggressively promote AI tools, many consumers worldwide are increasingly wary about AI’s long-term impacts. The study surveyed adults across 25 countries to gauge public awareness and sentiment towards AI, along with trust in regulators.
AI Concern is Regionally Varied
Regional breakdown of the data is telling. Individual countries including the United States, Italy, Australia, Brazil and Greece have particularly high levels of concern, with around half or more of all adults more worried than optimistic about AI’s impact on daily life.
And as you can see in this chart, concerns about AI are particularly high in some regions:
According to Pew:
“Concerns about AI are especially common in the United States, Italy, Australia, Brazil and Greece, where about half of adults say they are more concerned than excited. But as few as 16% in South Korea are mainly concerned about the prospect of AI in their lives.”
Pew proposes this may stem from familiarity, as more AI is used correlates with higher levels of public concern.
Concerns Extend Beyond Employment
Fears about A.I. often center on job displacement. But studies while studies have also raised significant concern about the impacts of AI tools on social interaction could erode social skills and human interaction.
Hundreds of thousands of jobs have been decimated or put at risk by growing automation and intelligence more widespread use of AI bots for companionship. This includes romantic engagement by teenagers, raising questions about shifting emotional norms and expectations in relationships.
These wider impacts contribute to uncertainties around AI’s social role and implications beyond the professional domain.
Challenges for AI Regulation
While they acknowledge the need for AI regulation, many respondents lack confidence that politicians can responsibly and intelligibly regulate AI.
National governments and the European Union are still relatively trusted (at 55% and 53% on median, respectively) compared to heavy AI users like the U.S. (37%) and China (27%), where the need for innovation seems to be prevalent enough to discount cautious governance of emerging technologies.
This is a game that could play out as a race to regulation where countries are reluctant to impose strict regulations for fear of losing the competitive advantage in spite of public concern.
Younger Generations Are More AI-Aware
Younger people are also more were widely about AI and its applications they incorporate them into all areas of life, from content generation to decision making. And as the influence of these digital natives increases, AI’s societal impact will continue to stimulate adoption and amplify the demand for protection.
Given the huge sums being poured into AI and the desire of governments to stimulate progress, the rapid adoption of AI tools is probably unstoppable. However, these discoveries highlight the importance of robust, transparent policy and approach to take preventive measures to mitigate ethical, social, and economic risks before it is too late.
Bottom Line
Site owners, publishers, and policy makers at Google need to be mindful of where these attitudes may shift as AI increasingly upends the tech landscape. Thoughtfully wrestling with AI’s potential and pitfalls will be essential to ensure a safer, more inclusive digital future.
