Businesses all over the world are introducing AI-powered platforms and features. Can they be relied on?
According to a survey, nearly 8 out of 10 Americans do not trust firms to employ AI properly.
Some degree of skepticism is to be expected given the artificial intelligence (AI) field’s rapid progress and subsequent integration of AI into tools and technology used in our daily personal and professional lives.
Even though technology can be helpful with repetitive activities, a recent survey by Bentley University and analytics and consultancy firm Gallup provides some shocking proof that more Americans than most are afraid of it.
AI and Trust in Businesses
The survey found that, while firms large and small are rushing to deploy AI, consumers do not believe there are adequate responsibility safeguards in place. The majority of respondents (79%) said they trust firms “not much” or “not at all” to use AI ethically.
Furthermore, only one in every ten Americans polled believed that AI does more good than harm. The remaining 90% is divided equally between harm and good (50%) and more harm than good (40%).
The Bentley-Gallup Business in Society Report is based on an online poll conducted in May of this year with 5,458 U.S. adults using the probability-based Gallup Panel. Respondents were asked about their attitudes regarding AI, both in the workplace and as consumers, among a variety of workplace concerns.
AI Eliminating Jobs
Over the next decade, three-quarters of Americans believe that artificial intelligence will limit the number of available jobs. This proportion increased to 80% for persons without a bachelor’s degree, who are unemployed for an extended period of time, or who are above the age of 60.
The 18-29 year-olds, the future of the US workforce, were the least concerned about AI eliminating jobs. 66% agreed it was accurate, 26% believed there would be no change in job levels, and 9% — the highest of any cohort — believed there would be more jobs.
Tasks We Trust AI to Outperform Humans
While many are fearful of AI taking over jobs, we can’t deny it is better than humans at certain tasks.
This poll question does not address AI-bots’ actual capacity to perform a task, but rather the human perception of their ability to perform a task. It identifies the industries where people are most skeptical of AI integration and those where it is more accepted.
In terms of AI, respondents preferred customizing the material they see online (68%), recommending items or services (65%), and supporting students with their schoolwork (60%).
People thought that offering medical advice (62%), driving cars (68%), and advising which employees a corporation should hire (69%), were the tasks that would perform worse than a person.
However, when compared to older groups, 18-29-year-olds responded more optimistically overall, indicating that a shift in public image is likely in the future.
