New Poll Reveals Gap: Ordinary Americans More Pessimistic About AI Than Experts

Those who develop artificial intelligence systems often make grand claims regarding what this technology can achieve. According to some leading figures in the field, AI will cure cancer , transform education , make us live longer , assist in bringing life to other planets , and will match humans’ cognitive ability in merely a handful of years.

Regular folks in America aren't falling for the buzz. new poll According to research conducted by Pew Research Center, ordinary individuals tend to be far more negative regarding the future prospects of artificial intelligence compared to professionals who interact with it daily.

The survey posed an identical series of inquiries to two distinct groups: roughly 5,000 individuals from the general populace and a curated group comprising almost 100 specialists engaged in working with, studying, or developing some of the widely-used AI models that have recently dominated the technology sector.

The findings indicate that ordinary individuals are significantly more inclined to think that artificial intelligence will result in more adverse effects rather than beneficial ones. Over half of the specialists (56%) opined that AI would positively influence the U.S. within two decades. In contrast, merely 17% of laypeople concurred with this perspective, which is only half the number who believed it would lead to detrimental consequences.

A significant disparity existed regarding personal perceptions of AI’s impact. Over seventy-five percent of experts anticipate benefiting from advancements in AI down the line. In contrast, merely twenty-four percent of typical American citizens agreed with this viewpoint, while forty-three percent expressed concerns that AI might have detrimental effects on their lives.

The survey then dug deeper into specific topics, once again finding wide variance between how experts and non-experts viewed AI. Experts were far more optimistic about the role that AI will play across a wide range of critical areas — including the economy, job performance, health care, education, the arts, the environment and personal relationships.

Within both groups, women were much more skeptical about AI than men. The difference was especially stark among experts. Just 36% of female AI experts believe the technology will have a positive impact on the country, compared to 63% of their male counterparts.

A significant share of both groups believes that AI will replace a lot of human workers, though that view is much more prevalent among non-experts. When asked which types of jobs are most at risk, there were some interesting points where the two sides were in agreement and others where there were large gaps.

Both experts and average Americans consider cashier roles to be among the most "disposable" when it comes to automation. There’s consensus between these groups about how artificial intelligence might impact job prospects for professionals like journalists, software developers, and therapists. Nevertheless, experts were nearly two times more inclined than the general population to believe that AI would result in reduced opportunities for truck drivers. In contrast, the public perceives AI as posing a greater risk to occupations such as teaching, music, and medicine.

Several key domains exist wherein specialists' perspectives align with those of ordinary individuals. In both communities, large proportions express significant concerns over the dissemination of incorrect data via artificial intelligence. Additionally, both parties are apprehensive regarding potential racial and gender biases embedded within AI technologies.

"It's primarily straight white males or men of color who are truly invested and enthusiastic about these technologies, but when individuals begin to be displaced by technology, those from underrepresented groups will invariably feel the impact first," stated an anonymous AI specialist to Pew.

Both the general populace and specialists concur that present regulations concerning AI fall short of adequately safeguarding against possible risks. They doubt whether governmental bodies possess the capability to manage AI properly. Furthermore, cynicism prevails among all groups regarding the trustworthiness of firms involved in developing this technology, questioning their commitment to using AI ethically.

Despite these few areas of agreement, it’s clear that experts have strikingly different views on the potential and risks of AI. Pew’s report doesn’t attempt to explain why, but there are some of the data offers clues.

Of course, experts are far more acquainted with AI and utilize it more often. Across multiple questions, higher percentages of non-experts admitted their uncertainty about the technology’s impact; this indicates that numerous individuals have barely devoted as much consideration to the subject as those who interact with AI daily.

Specialists seem to significantly overstate the importance of AI in an average American’s life. Approximately 80% thought Americans encounter AI "nearly all the time," whereas only 27% of laypeople agreed that this applied to them personally.