People have a number of worries about artificial intelligence. Like job losses and vitality use. Much more so: political chaos.
All of that could be a lot in charge on one new know-how that was an afterthought to most individuals only a few years in the past. Generative AI, within the few years since ChatGPT burst onto the scene, has develop into so ubiquitous in our lives that individuals have robust opinions about what it means and what it could possibly do.
A Reuters/Ipsos ballot performed Aug. 13-18 and launched Tuesday dug into a few of these particular issues. It centered on the concerns folks had concerning the know-how, and most people has usually had a damaging notion. On this survey, 47% of respondents mentioned they consider AI is dangerous for humanity, in contrast with 31% who disagreed with that assertion.
Evaluate these outcomes with a Pew Analysis Middle survey, launched in April, that discovered 35% of the general public believed AI would have a damaging influence on the US, versus 17% who believed it will be constructive. That sentiment flipped when Pew requested AI specialists the identical query. The specialists had been extra optimistic: 56% mentioned they anticipated a constructive influence, and solely 15% anticipated a damaging one.
The Reuters/Ipsos ballot particularly highlights a few of the speedy, tangible issues many individuals have with the speedy growth of generative AI know-how, together with the less-specific fears about runaway robotic intelligence. The numbers point out extra concern than consolation with these bigger-picture, long-term questions, like whether or not AI poses a threat to the way forward for humankind (58% agree, 20% disagree). However even bigger parts of the American public are nervous about extra speedy points.
Foremost amongst these speedy points is the potential that AI will disrupt political programs, with 77% of these polled saying they had been involved. AI instruments, significantly image and video generators, have the potential to create distorting or manipulative content material (referred to as deepfakes) that may mislead voters or undermine belief in political data, significantly on social media.
Most People, at 71%, mentioned they had been involved AI would trigger too many individuals to lose jobs. The influence of AI on the workforce is anticipated to be important, with some firms already speaking about being “AI-first.” AI builders and enterprise leaders tout the know-how’s means to make staff extra environment friendly. However different polls have additionally proven how frequent fears of job loss are. The April Pew survey discovered 64% of People and 39% of AI specialists thought there can be fewer jobs within the US in 20 years due to AI.
Learn extra: AI Essentials: 29 Ways You Can Make Gen AI Work for You, According to Our Experts
However the Reuters/Ipsos ballot additionally famous two different worries which have develop into extra mainstream: the impact of AI on private relationships and vitality consumption.
Two-thirds of respondents within the ballot mentioned they had been involved about AI’s use as a substitute for in-person relationships. Generative AI’s human-like tone (which comes from the truth that it was educated on, and due to this fact replicates, stuff written by people) has led many customers to deal with chatbots and characters as in the event that they had been, properly, precise pals. That is widespread sufficient that OpenAI, when it rolled out the new GPT-5 mannequin this month, needed to bring back an older model that had a extra conversational tone as a result of customers felt like they’d misplaced a good friend. Even OpenAI CEO Sam Altman acknowledged that customers treating AI as a kind of therapist or life coach made him “uneasy.”
The vitality calls for of AI are additionally important and a priority for 61% of People surveyed. The demand comes from the huge quantities of computing energy required to coach and run massive language fashions like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. The info facilities that home these computer systems are like giant AI factories, they usually’re taking on area, electrical energy and water in a rising variety of locations.
